MARKA, Somalia – Somali government forces have significantly intensified military operations against the Al-Qaeda-linked Al-Shabaab militant group in the southern Lower Shabelle region, security officials said on Saturday.
In recent hours, Somali National Army (SNA) troops conducted sweeping operations along the banks of the Shabelle River, targeting suspected militant hideouts. Several individuals were detained during the raids on suspicion of links to Al-Shabaab, according to military sources.
“The operations are aimed at flushing out militants hiding in the riverine areas. Our forces are making steady gains,” one military official told Radio Shabelle on condition of anonymity as he was not authorized to speak to the media.
The intensified campaign comes days after SNA forces seized control of the strategic town of Awdheegle following fierce clashes with the militants. The town, located west of the capital Mogadishu, has long been considered a key Al-Shabaab stronghold in the region.
Reinforcements from the Somali army have since been deployed to the town and surrounding villages to secure the area and prevent further insurgent activity.
“Our troops have doubled the pace of operations in and around Awdheegle,” another security official said, adding that joint forces from the African Union Mission in Somalia (AUSSOM), particularly Ugandan troops, were supporting the ongoing offensive.
Al-Shabaab has waged a deadly insurgency against the Somali government for over 15 years, regularly carrying out bombings, assassinations, and assaults in both urban and rural areas.
The Somali government, backed by international partners, has recently launched renewed efforts to dislodge the group from its remaining rural strongholds in central and southern Somalia.
