MOGADISHU, Somalia – At least 80 al-Shabaab terrorists were killed in military operations by the Somali National Army in the province of Mudug, a senior army commander said Tuesday.
The Somali-based al-Qaeda-affiliated terrorists were killed in the last 24 hours in the operation in a forest near the town of Caad, according to Brig. Gen. Dayah Abdi Abdulle.
He said the army, backed by local forces, will continue the operation against al-Shabaab.
His remarks came two days after the Defense Ministry announced more than 130 al-Shabaab terrorists were killed during simultaneous operations in central and southern Somalia, and claimed to have liberated large swaths of land from the terror group.
The army, backed by local forces, has been conducting separate military operations against al-Shabaab in the central province of Mudug in Hirshabelle state, as well as the southern state of Jubaland, which have been ongoing since late last week.
Somalia has been plagued by insecurity for years, with the main threats emanating from al-Shabaab and the Daesh/ISIS terror groups.
Since 2007, al-Shabaab 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.
The terror group has increased attacks since the Somali president, who was elected for a second term last year, declared an “all-out war” on al-Shabaab.
