Somali army forces, in coordination with local militia fighters, killed at least 30 Al-Shabaab militants in a series of military operations conducted Tuesday across the Hiiraan, Middle Shabelle, and Lower Shabelle regions, according to the Ministry of Defense.
Defense Ministry spokesman Abukar Mohamed Hassan said the operations targeted Al-Shabaab strongholds in the areas of Aboorey, Masjid Ali Gaduud, Ruunirgood, Guulane, and a location near Afgooye district.
In Hiiraan’s Aboorey area, government forces captured the town following what the spokesman described as a “two-pronged assault.”
“The national forces and local heroes forcefully liberated the Aboorey area from the Khawarij. In this operation, more than 20 militants were killed,” said spokesman Abukar Mohamed, using the government’s term for Al-Shabaab.
In the Masjid Ali Gaduud area of Middle Shabelle, the Somali army destroyed three vehicles used by Al-Shabaab and killed the militants on board. Separately, a successful strike was carried out in Guulane, killing an unspecified number of fighters.
In another coordinated attack under the Afgooye district in Lower Shabelle, the spokesman said more than ten Al-Shabaab militants and leaders were killed.
“These operations demonstrate our forces’ continued momentum in liberating territory and neutralizing terrorist elements that threaten national stability,” Abukar added.
The Somali government has ramped up counterterrorism operations in central and southern Somalia in recent months, with support from clan militias and international partners, to dismantle Al-Shabaab’s presence in rural strongholds.
Al-Shabaab, an al-Qaeda-affiliated militant group, is officially designated a terrorist organization by Somalia, the United States, the United Nations, and several other countries and international bodies.
