At least 130 al-Shabaab militants were killed in coordinated military operations in central and southern Somalia, reported several international news outlets. The Somali Defense Ministry claimed that large areas of land had been liberated from the al-Qaeda-affiliated terrorist group over the past three days.
According to the Defense Ministry, the Somali National Army, with support from local forces, carried out separate military operations against al-Shabaab in the central province of Mudug in Hirshabelle state and in the southern state of Jubaland. These operations have been ongoing for the past three days. The army also confiscated weapons and equipment from terrorist hideouts, which were destroyed during the military operations.
The Defense Ministry referred to the operations as targeting the “Khawarijs,” an Arabic term used for the first sect in Islam that rebelled against Islamic rule in the early years after the passing of Prophet Mohammad.
The ministry reported that areas such as Caadley, Buurta Yagoos, and localities around Baraag Ismaaciil, in the Mudug region, were extricated from the terrorist group. It stated that the Somali National Army and the People’s Defense Forces are committed to continuing the fight against the Khawarij until they are completely eradicated from the country.
Somalia has long struggled with political instability, primarily due to threats from al-Shabaab and the Daesh/ISIS terror groups. Since 2007, al-Shabaab has been engaged in conflict with the Somali government and the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS), an entity endorsed by the African Union and mandated by the United Nations Security Council.
The terror group has intensified its attacks since Somali president Hassan Sheikh Mohamoud, who was re-elected for a second term last year, declared an “all-out war” on al-Shabaab.