SNA troops seize villages from Al-Shabaab in central Somalia

MOGADISHU, Somalia - The Somali National Army [SNA] has seized several villages in central Somalia, in what has significantly boosted the fight against Al-Shabaab, a group that has terrorized the country for a decade

Security sources told the media that most of the villages seized were in Middle and Lower Shabelle, where the militants are dominant. The Al-Shabaab controls the region.

Operations were conducted in Hawadley and Jameo, located on the outskirts of the Balad district, 40 kilometers north of the Somali capital Mogadishu, the official in the region told Anadolu Agency on the condition of anonymity due to restrictions on speaking to the media.

The operation also triggered the liberation of eight more villages against an al-Qaeda-affiliated al-Shabaab group that has been carrying out a suicide bombing, attack on the army bases, and also targeting the African Union peacekeeping mission forces in Somalia [AMISOM] since 2007.

The government said at least ten Al-Shabaab militants were killed during the deadly operation. The operation comes hours after Al-Shabaab attacked Bal'ad town killing six people, with a number of them being members of SNA.

Al-Shabaab still controls large swathes of rural central and southern Somalia, but operations activated by AMISOM and SNA troops have seen the group substantially degraded. Thousands of people have died in the process.

The United States and Turkey have also actively participated in the fight against Al-Shabaab, training Danab Special Forces and Gorgor forces respectively. The two elite squads have been instrumental in the fight against the group.

GAROWE ONLINE