An Al-Shabaab leader who has been operating within Maya Farah village in Qoryooley district has surrendered to government forces in Somalia, state media confirmed, in the latest wave of victories against the militants which are attributed to ongoing crackdown against the group which controls large swathes of rural central and southern Somalia
To effectively win the war, the national army has given room for defections from the group with those taking advantage being rehabilitated before repatriation to the community. Hundreds of the militants have previously made use of the grace period window to defect to the government.
Few days ago a  senior al-Shabab official defected from the group and surrendered to the Somali government in the Bay region of Southwest state
According to Major General Abdi Hassan Hulbale who is in charge of security in the lower Shabelle region, the Al-Shabaab leader surrendered to the 14th October brigade of the Somali national army in the Janale district.
Major General Abdi further said that the 40-year-old Al-Shabaab leader has been with the terrorist outfit for 9 years and rose through the ranks.
The number of Al-Shabaab leaders who have surrendered to the National Army over the past few days has been on the rise as the terror group continues to face defeat from government forces.
Federal Government of Somalia president Hassan Sheikh Mohamud has declared war against the Al-Shabaab and maintained his government’s commitment to restoring peace and stability in the country.
The Somali government has gained ground in its war with the Islamist insurgency Al-Shabaab, mainly in central Somalia. Most of the progress is due to Mogadishu’s leveraging of local discontent with Al-Shabaab to form alliances with clan militias.
Troops are now planning to move into the insurgency’s southern bastions.
