Sunday June 11, 2023
Mogadishu (HOL) - The Somali National Army, backed by international partners, killed 19 al-Shabab militants and injured several others during a joint operation in the Lower Shabelle region of southern Somalia, the government confirmed on Saturday.
According to state-owned media, the joint operation took place today in the Bulo Mohamed Abdalla area, located within the Awdhegle district, following an intelligence report received by the National Intelligence and Security Agency.
Government forces also reported that the joint forces destroyed the al-Shabab group's army positions and shelters, in addition to seizing weapons and vehicles belonging to the group.
HOL was unable to independently verify the reported death toll, and there has been no immediate comment from the al-Shabab group, either through its spokesman or on its websites.
A week ago, the militants killed 54 Ugandan troops serving under the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS) during an attack on an AU base in the Lower Shabelle region.
The latest attack came as ATMIS is expected to withdraw 2,000 of its troops by the end of June in a phased handover of security responsibilities to the Somali security forces.
The AU peace mission is expected to fully exit Somalia by Dec. 31, 2024.