Somalia military kills 14 Al-Shabaab militants in offensive
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Staff reporter GAROWE ONLINE
- Posted On 01-04-2023, 10:45AM
MOGADISHU, Somalia - The Somali National Army [SNA] confirmed the killing of over 14 Al-Shabaab militants in the outskirts of Baidoa, the seat of Southwest state, which has lately been the epicenter of tussles between the national army and the Al-Qaeda-linked group.
According to senior SNA officials, the militants were ambushed at one of their hideouts in Makude which is situated at least 7 kilometers south of Baidoa town. The militants who tried to respond were killed on spot by the national army officers who were on the offensive, SNA added.
President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud has announced the second phase of the Al-Shabaab crackdown which will target the militants in areas that are yet to be redeemed from the group, particularly in central and southern parts of the country where Al-Shabaab militants are predominant.
SNA forces alongside clan militia have captured several towns and villages in Galgadud, Mudug, Middle Shabelle, and Hiiraan regions in the last seven months and the fortunes are set to increase with an impending crackdown which will continue for months until the time SNA will take security responsibilities.
The Somali Transition Plan [STP] projects that the local forces will be in charge of security in the next year when the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia [ATMIS] team will be leaving. There are also close to 500 US Africa Command soldiers stationed in the country.
Recently, the Somali government announced that Al-Shabaab revenue had dwindled by half from $120 million [according to reports by US] but the officials did not mention the exact figure. The US recently announced that the group's revenue increased to $120 million from $100 million.
Somalia's government is also targeting local businesses that have been remitting taxes to the Al-Shabaab against the law. About 70 mobile money transfer firms linked to Al-Shabaab along with 250 bank accounts have been closed down by the government within the last seven months.
GAROWE ONLINE
