MOGADISHU, July 20 – Somalia’s elite Danab special forces have killed nine Al-Shabaab militants, including a commander leading the group, during a planned military operation in the Lower Shabelle region, the army said.
The operation was conducted in the Hantiwadaag area of Lower Shabelle, where Danab forces targeted members of the armed group who had been hiding in the area, according to the Danab command.
A statement from the command said the operation resulted in the deaths of nine Al-Shabaab members, including the group’s local commander who was directing the fighters in the area.
The forces carried out the operation as part of ongoing military campaigns aimed at weakening Al-Shabaab’s presence and disrupting its activities in areas where the group has attempted to establish hideouts.
The Danab command told Somalia’s state media that operations against the militant group would continue, saying the special forces had the capability to reach areas where Al-Shabaab fighters attempt to conceal themselves.
“The operations against the Khawaarij will continue,” the command said, referring to Al-Shabaab, and added that the forces would pursue militants wherever they try to establish bases or hideouts.
The Danab Brigade, trained with international support, has played a key role in Somalia’s military campaign against Al-Shabaab, conducting offensive operations alongside the Somali National Army in several regions.
Somalia has intensified military operations against Al-Shabaab in recent years, with government forces and allied militias targeting the group’s fighters, commanders and logistical networks across central and southern Somalia.
