Somali army kills 30 al-Shabaab terrorists in operation

HUDUR, Somalia (AA) – The Somali army killed at least 30 Al-Shabaab terrorists, including two so-called commanders, in a military operation Wednesday.

The Somali National Army (SNA) conducted the operation near El-Qura region, which is located across the central states of Galmudug and Hirshabele.

A statement from the Somali Ministry of Defense said the terrorists gathered in the area in the early hours of Wednesday morning.

General Abdullahi Ali Anod’s spokesman said about 200 Al-Shabaab militants were killed in different regions within a week.

“Our brave forces eliminated 30 al-Shabaab militants, including two senior leaders, in a decisive operation,” he added.

The latest operation came a day after Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mahamud visited Jowhar, the administrative capital of south-central Hirshabele state.

This state is an epicenter of the terrorist group’s activities.

Mahamud, who was elected for a second term last year, declared an “all-out war” on al-Shabaab that resulted in the terrorists losing large swaths of territory in the central regions.

Somalia has been plagued by insecurity for years, with the greatest threat coming from al-Shabaab and the Daesh/ ISIS terrorist 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.