Somalia Army neutralises nearly 40 Al-Shabaab insurgents in coordinated operations

The Federal government of Somalia says it has recorded new gains against insurgency in the county, declaring that a new military operation against Al-Shabaab killed nearly 40 members in the Lower Shabelle region. However, the government did not clarify the casualties on their side.

In a statement by the Ministry of Information, Culture and Tourism, the government said the operation was conducted by the Somalia National Army and “international partners,” a reference to the involvement of airstrikes by the countries supporting Somalian forces.

The operation took place in the villages of Baldooska and Baghdad, approximately 30 kilometres north of Mogadishu. The statement did not specify when the operation took place, but local sources said it occurred Tuesday.

According to the statement, the operation came after government troops received information that Al-Shabaab fighters had been mobilizing in the area to conduct attacks against the public.

The statement from the government did not say which international partner was involved in this latest operation, but without providing proof, al-Shabab media alleged a Turkish drone was behind the strike.

Recall that Al-Shabaab launched an assault on a hotel in Mogadishu, resulting in the deaths of at least three government soldiers and injuries to 27 individuals, including lawmakers and civilians. Law enforcement later confirmed the neutralization of five assailants involved in the attack.

The group has been waging a violent insurgency against Somalia’s federal government since 2006 in a bid to establish its own rule based on its interpretation of Islamic Sharia law.

Attacks by Al-Shabaab have been repelled by government-backed forces since the mid-2010s.

Despite the gains recorded against Al Shabaab, the group still controls vast areas in southern and central Somalia and launches sporadic attacks on civilian and military targets.