Somali National Army targeted terrorists near El-Qura, located between Galgadud and Middle Shabelle regions of the central states of Galmudug, in early hours, says Defense Ministry

Mohamed Dhaysane

HUDUR, Somalia, The Somali army killed at least 30 al-Shabaab terrorists, including two so-called commanders, during a military operation on Wednesday, the Defense Ministry said.

The Somali National Army (SNA) conducted the operation near El-Qura, which is located between the Galgadud and Middle Shabelle regions of the central states of Galmudug and Hirshabele, the ministry said in a statement posted on Twitter after the military operation.

They targeted the terrorists who had gathered in the area in the early hours of Wednesday and “eliminated 30 al-Shabaab militants,” the ministry said.

About 200 militants from the al-Qaeda-affiliated al-Shabaab terror group have been killed in military operations in a week.

“Our brave forces eliminated 30 al-Shabaab militants, including two senior leaders, in a decisive operation. General Abdullahi Ali Anod MoD spokesperson confirms 200 al-Shabaab operatives neutralized in various regions in a week,” it added.

The latest operation occurred a day after Somalia’s President Hassan Sheikh Mahamud visited Jowhar, the administrative capital of the south-central state of Hirshabele, which has been an epicenter of the terrorist group’s subversive activities.

Mahamud, who was elected for a second term last year, declared an “all-out war” on al-Shabaab, resulting in the terrorist losing large swaths of territory in central regions, including the coastal town of Haradhere, which had been under the militants’ control for more than a decade.

Somalia has been plagued by insecurity for years, with the main threats emanating from al-Shabaab and the Daesh/ISIS terror groups.

Since 2007, the group has been fighting the Somali government and the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS), a multidimensional mission authorized by the African Union and mandated by the United Nations Security Council.​​​​​​​

Source: Anadolu Agency