Warplanes sighted in central Somalia ahead of Al-Shabaab crackdown

Somali soldiers, part of an elite combat unit called Danab, preparing for live fire drills at a military base in Baledogle, Somalia, earlier this month. [Photo: New York Times]

MOGADISHU, Somalia - The crackdown against Al-Shabaab militants could be edging closer, several sources have indicated, with warplanes sighted in central parts of the country where President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud authorized combing before the second phase of operations kick off in Jubaland and Southwest states.

According to locals, warplanes have been spotted hovering around Elbur and Galhareeri in central Galmudug state, which is considered a strategic area for Al-Shabaab. The first phase was conducted in these regions leaving close to 3,000 militants dead, the government confirmed.

Residents who spoke to Garowe Online said a number of people have already started leaving their homes for fear of military bombardments which could be activated soon. On Sunday, the defense ministry asked the people in Al-Shabaab areas to leave soon as the government plans to begin a full-scale air/ground offensive in the coming days.

President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud visited Galmadug to lay strategy on the offensive, noting that locals can also join the war by initiating operations along with the Somali National Army and foreign troops. The US Africa Command and the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia [ATMIS] were instrumental in the war.

Already, some other troops have headed to Jubaland and Southwest states before the mission is activated, warning that locals associated with Al-Shabaab will also be held liable during the offenses. The government has given room for amnesty to those willing to defect from the group and openly recant their association.

The second phase of operations against the group is believed to be the last and final assault against the group which has wreaked havoc on innocent civilians and members of security teams in Somalia. The Al-Shabaab have been using Improvised Explosive Devices [IEDs] to wage their attacks against the Al-Qaeda-linked group.

Besides military operations, the government is also pursuing the group's sources of revenue, including bank accounts and mobile money transfer firms which have been used previously to aid violent extremism activities across Somalia. Previously, a number of bank accounts and mobile money transfer firms have been closed due to association with Al-Shabaab.

The Al-Shabaab militants have been fighting to topple the fragile UN-backed federal government of Somalia for the last 16 years but concerted effort from security teams has managed to put them at bay. The military has made significant progress in thwarting the group from infiltrating strategic regions in the past according to the United Nations Security Council.

GAROWE ONLINE