Somali National Army elite forces, backed by international partners, killed 20 Al-Shabab militants overnight operation in Mudug, a region in central Somalia.รย รย The Ministry of Information, Culture and Tourism said the operation targeted al-Shabab militants at their hideout in Shabellow forest.
According toรย theรย ministry,รย troopsรย killedรย overรย 100รย al-Shababรย extremistsรย lastรย weekรย inรย oneรย ofรย theรย worstรย battlesรย inรย aรย year-longรย campaignรย toรย clearรย outรย theรย militantsรย whoรย hadรย foughtรย governmentรย forcesรย inรย near-dailyรย strikes. Al-Shababรย madeรย noรย reactionรย onรย theรย newรย governmentรย offensive. Theรย operationรย toรย retakeรย controlรย ofรย theรย nationรย comesรย afterรย Mogadishuรย askedรย theรย UNรย Securityรย Councilรย toรย postponeรย theรย currentรย armyรย withdrawalรย fromรย Somalia. Al-Shabab is yet to comment on the latest onslaught by government force
Under the current schedule, some 3,000 troops of the African Transition Mission in Somalia were to leave the country at the end of September, in a continuing withdrawal meant to last until December 2024. Somalia called for a three-month technical pause, citing logistical challenges in
the event the second phase of exit was effected. Already, the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia stopped the withdrawal of 3,000 soldiers who were scheduled to leave by September 2023.
The Al-Shabaab have been on the receiving end for the last 12 months, with over 3,000 killed during the first phase of operations against the group in HirShabelle and Galmadug states. The second phase is due to kick off in Jubaland and Southwest states of Somalia.
