200 militants from the al Shabaab movement were killed on Sunday evening, during an army military operation in the Hiran region in the center of the country, according to the official Somali news agency.

The agency, citing security sources, reported that, "army units in cooperation with armed tribes launched a surprise attack on elements of al Shabaab fighters near the town of Elo Geibo" in the province.

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"The military operation came after army units received information about the infiltration of al Shabaab elements into the town, which led to the outbreak of violent confrontations between the movement's group and army members," the agency added, noting that "al Shabaab elements were planning to attack the town of Elo Geibo."

"The clashes lasted more than 10 hours, as the army, in cooperation with the armed tribes, managed to liquidate the terrorist cell and neutralize 200 of its elements," the agency pointed out.

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This comes at a time when some regions of Somalia are witnessing security operations conducted by government forces in cooperation with armed tribes against al Shabaab fighters in the south and center of the country.

Earlier, 14 members of the armed al Shabaab movement, including a prominent leader, were killed during an operation launched by the Somali army in the Lower Shabelle province in the south of the country.

The Somali army announced the death of 19 members of the al Shabaab movement south-west of the capital Mogadishu, during battles that took place near the city of Balad in the central Shabelle province after the Army received intelligence information.

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Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud vowed in August to wage an "all-out war" to eradicate the armed movement.

For years, Somalia has been fighting a war against the al Shabaab, which was founded in early 2004, an armed organization ideologically affiliated with Al-Qaeda, and has adopted numerous terrorist operations that have claimed hundreds of lives.

Al Shabaab militants were driven out of the capital in 2011 by an African Union force, but the group still controls swathes of the countryside. It continues to launch deadly strikes on civilian and military targets, with popular hotels and restaurants frequently hit.

Last August, new Prime Minister Hamza Abdi Barre announced the appointment of the group's former deputy leader and spokesperson, Muktar Robow, as religion minister.