Somali army kills 18 al Shabaab terrorists in successful operation
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The operation precedes the government's upcoming launch of the second phase of a comprehensive campaign against the terrorist group.
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Somali soldiers patrol Sanguuni military base south of Mogadishu, Somalia, on June 13, 2018 (AFP)
The Somali National Army's Commandos unit conducted a successful operation in the Budbud area and Galcad town of the Galgudud region in Galmudug State, officials confirmed.
The operation resulted in the killing of 18 al Shabaab terrorists and the injury of several others. Senior al Shabaab commanders were among those targeted and eliminated during the offensive.
On his account, Deputy Minister of Information of the Federal Government of Somalia, Abdirahman Yusuf Adala, said as quoted by Somali National News Agency (SONNA), that the Somali National Army, in collaboration with regional forces and international partners, is resolute in its commitment to swiftly eradicate terrorists across the country.
This operation preceded the government's upcoming launch of the second phase of a comprehensive campaign against the al Shabaab group in the southwest and southern parts of Somalia.
Al Shabaab, the Al-Qaeda-linked group, has been waging an insurgency against the central government for more than a decade. It managed to be active in parts of Somalia and other countries of the Horn of Africa, including Kenya, Ethiopia, and Djibouti. The African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS) has amped up military operations against the terrorist organization.
While the group has been driven out of Somalia's main towns and cities, it retains power in large parts of rural areas and continues to carry out attacks against security and civilian targets, including in the capital.
Hotels have often been targeted in the past as they tend to host high-ranking Somali and foreign officials, as per AFP.
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