REFLEXIVE PEACE PRACTICE (RPP) PROJECT

Somalia's security situation remained critical during the week of 14–18 September 2026, marked by a continued US strike campaign against Al-Shabaab, including a 14 September airstrike near Saacow, and a newly confirmed joint Puntland-US operation against an Al-Shabaab weapons depot in the Al-Madow-Golis mountains of northern Somalia. The expansion of counter-terrorism operations into Puntland highlights both the geographic reach of current international engagement and the continued logistical resilience of Al-Shabaab, even as the underlying stalemate around Mogadishu and the Shabelle regions persisted.