Two al-Shabab militants were killed as a result of a planned operation carried out by Somali government troops on Monday in the Mudug region with with the help of local militia forces. Hashi Garad Ali, a prominent al Shabab leader in the region,
was reportedly captured during the operation, according to government officials. “Ali is known for his involvement in the extortion of livestock from rural communities,” according to a brief statement released by the Federal Government of Somalia.
Al-Shabab militants are still active in a number of locations in the Galmudug state’s Mudug and Galgaduud regions despite these operations. The militant group continues to frequently attack Central Somalia. Following an operation by the elite Danab unit of the Somali National Army in the Lower Jubba region two days prior that resulted in the deaths of over 40 al-Shabab terrorists, including critical leaders, Monday’s operations are the continuation of that operation. The Lower Jubba operation, which was backed by international security partners, was directed at a terrorist group meeting spot in the village of Welmaro. Welmaro is found in the Lower Jubba region of the southern state of Jubaland, 40 kilometers (24 miles) from the town of Afmadow.
Formed in the mid-2000s as part of the Islamic Courts Union  al-Shabaab came to prominence during the 2006-2009 War , during which it presented itself as a vehicle for the waging of armed resistance against Ethiopia.
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.
The joint campaign has dislodged militants from a swathe of territory in the centre of the country, reestablishing the government’s presence in regions that Al-Shabaab had controlled for a decade or more. Troops are now already moving into the insurgency’s southern bastions.
