Mogadishu (Dawan Africa) – The Federal Government of Somalia has announced a major operation to dismantle the financial networks of Al-Shabaab and ISIS, revealing that it has shut down hundreds of accounts and communication lines used for illicit transactions.
The announcement, made today (Saturday), confirms that between January 1 and June 30, 2025, the government implemented a targeted campaign to disrupt the financial infrastructure of Al-Shabaab and ISIS across the country.
“The plan to cripple terrorist financing consists of various strategies and measures designed to identify, investigate, block, and prosecute illegal financial activities,” the official statement read.
Key outcomes of the operation include:
- 575 phone numbers used by Al-Shabaab and ISIS for intimidation, threats, extortion, and storage of ransom payments were officially shut down.
- 21 bank accounts linked to the groups were deactivated.
- 88 merchant accounts used to collect extortion money and process transfers were closed.
- Multiple individuals involved in ransom collection were referred to the courts.
- Senior financial commanders within the networks were identified and eliminated, severely disrupting leadership and coordination of funding channels.
- Several roadside checkpoints and cash storage facilities used by the groups were dismantled.
The government did not disclose the total amount of money contained in the blocked accounts or mobile wallets.
The government emphasized that the campaign was carried out in cooperation with Somali citizens and private sector institutions. Awareness programs were launched to inform the public of the risks of financing these groups.
“Anyone found financing terrorism will face strict legal consequences,” the government warned.
Authorities reaffirmed their commitment to enforcing national finance laws and called on all businesses and individuals to avoid any involvement in activities linked to financial support for Al-Shabaab or ISIS.
