Somalian army, supported by international partners, have reportedly conducted a successful operation in the country’s lower Shabelle region that killed 49 al-Shabab militants.
The targeted military operation that took place in the village of Buulo Madiino “went as planned and destroyed all the military vehicles and weaponry of the Khawarij Al-Shabaab,” said the Somali Information Ministry in a statement. Khawarij is a term that refers to anyone who deviates Islam.
The Somali government’s death toll could not be verified but residents in the region reported that they heard explosions. The government claimed that the militants were planning to attack Somalia. It also stated that airstrikes were involved in the operation. However, it did not mention which country was responsible.
This announcement comes just days after Somali president Hassan Sheikh Mohamud visited frontline villages in the central regions. Mohamud, who was re-elected president earlier this year, has declared a “total war” against al-Shabab. Since Mohamud was elected leader, the group has intensified its attacks. The attacks include a rare July incursion into neighboring Ethiopia, which authorities claim left hundreds of militants dead, and a twin car bombing that killed 120 people in Mogadishu in Oct.
Source: north africa post
