30 Al-Shabaab Members Killed in Eastern Somalia

Thirty militants from the Al-Shabaab terrorist group were killed during large-scale military operations in recent days in Somalia’s Middle Shabelle region and surrounding areas in the country’s southeast.

Somali Ministry of Defense spokesperson Abukar Mohamed said in a press briefing on Tuesday that approximately 30 Al-Shabaab members were killed in an operation by the armed forces and intelligence service in Hawadle, Middle Shabelle. He added that another operation targeted the group’s fighters in the Mudug region of central Somalia, clearing the area of militants.

The Somali government aims to eliminate the extremist Al-Shabaab group by the 63rd anniversary of northern Somalia’s independence, citing “notable successes” achieved so far in its ongoing security campaign launched last year.

Nearly a year ago, the Somali army, with the help of “popular resistance,” initiated an “all-out war” to liberate the country from Al-Shabaab, a group linked to Al-Qaeda and often referred to in media as “Khawarij militias.” Official statements indicate that the recent military operations have killed hundreds of the group’s leaders and fighters while also stripping the group of control over many areas in southern and central Somalia.