MOGADISHU — The Somali National Army (SNA) killed eight al-Shabab militants and arrested two others in the central Galgadud region, an SNA officer confirmed Monday.
The officer, Osman Abdullahi, told the Somali national news agency that the two arrested Shabab operatives are Mukhtar Mohamed, who was head of intelligence for the group in the Galgadud region, and Aseyr Mohamed, who was in charge of tax collection.
Al-Shabab did not comment on the latest military operation in central Somalia, which came after an attack on a base of the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia in Bula Marer, a town in southern Somalia, where the militants claimed to have killed more than 130 Ugandan soldiers on May 26.
AlShabab was driven out of key areas in central Somalia since the SNA launched the offensive last year which now entering its second phase.
The Somali-led operation saw success and gains against Al-Shabaab with President Hassan Sheikh hoping to end the group’s presence in entire country.
Somalia plans to takeover the security responsibility from AU forces who are withdrawing by December 2024.
Xinhua contributed to this report
