Al-Shabaab militants killed in Somalia offensive

MOGADISHU, Somalia - Somalia's security forces from the SNA Force continued with the crackdown against Al-Shabaab militants on Friday, just over a week after Hassan Sheikh Mohamud took over from President Mohamed Abdullahi Farmajo, who was in charge for five years.

Farmajo had been accused of failing to restore security in the country, a key point that drove campaigns that were concluded recently. Under his administration, there was a resurgence of Al-Shabaab terrorists, who control large swathes of rural central and southern Somalia.

According to the army, the Somali National Army [SNA] killed seven Al-Shabaab militants on Friday in the southern part of the country, arresting two of them in the process. This was the first major crackdown since Hassan Sheikh took over leadership.

The Chief of Defense Forces General Odowaa Yusuf Rageh says the operation was carried out in Middle Shabelle within War-Ise village, where the elite Danab Special Forces tool part. During the crackdown, Al-Shabaab military trucks were confiscated.

The army chief told state-owned Somali National Television [SNTV] that weapons and money which terrorists have been extorting from the locals were recovered during the operation. The militants use the money to carry out their operations.

"The purpose of the operation was to prevent terrorist attacks against the Somali people," he said, adding that several al-Shabab bases in the area, as well as illegal mobile courts where they used to harass civilians, were destroyed.

In recent weeks, the Al-Shabaab militants have intensified operations against government soldiers on various Forward Operating Bases. A fortnight ago, the Al-Shabaab attacked the ATMIS troops, the Burundian contingent at El-Baraf Forward Operating Base, killing over 30 soldiers.

GAROWE ONLINE