Somali government forces, backed by anti-al Shabab militia, recaptured several small villages from al Shabab in the Bay region on Sunday.
The joint forces have taken over the small villages of Bayale, Aliyow Doyow, Hawa Dhaysile, Borame, Karanoy and Daawuudow, which were previously under the control of Al-Shabaab.
A military official involved in the operations against Al-Shabab told the state-run media that the government forces and the local people had inflicted a heavy defeat on the militants.
He did not specify the number of casualties resulting from the operation, but he emphasized that the operations would begin on many frontlines in the South West regional state.
On Saturday, the security forces and local militia conducted operations in Bardale and Qansaxdhere districts in the Bay region to flush out the militants.
The operations against Al-Shabab by the Somali government and local allied militia are getting more robust in the country’s regions, especially the Hiiraan, Galgadud and Bay regions.
Somali army commanders say their forces killed over 100 al-Shabab militants during last weekend’s offensives to retake territory from the Islamist militant group in central Somalia. Witnesses say the troops also recaptured two villages that al-Shabab had held for more than a decade.
Senior army commanders in Hiiraan said that fierce firefights between the military and al-Shabab began early Saturday, especially in the villages of Aborey and Yasooman.
The US government conducted an airstrike this week on Al Shabaab positions near Buulobarde in Hiiraan, killing 27 Al Shabaab fighters.
