On Thursday, the Somali army announced the killing of 70 members of the “Al-Shabab” movement, including two leaders, in a military operation carried out in the south of the country.
Army spokesman Ali Hashi said in a statement to “Voice of the Army ” radio that the government forces launched today a military operation targeting the town of Jleebli in the Middle Shabelle region, in which al-Shabab militants are active.
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He added that the military operation “resulted in the killing of 70 al-Shabab fighters, including two officials in the movement’s front division (whose names were not disclosed), and other elements were wounded during the operation.”
The spokesman did not explain the losses suffered by the government forces during the operation, stressing that “they are still continuing to liberate the town from the remnants of the terrorist movement.”
Hashi indicated that the operation “also resulted in the confiscation of military equipment and cars belonging to the terrorists.”
He stressed that the operation is continuing and targeting other areas in the region to liberate them from the movement.
Al-Shabab did not comment on the operation mentioned by the army spokesman until 19:00 (GMT).
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For more than two weeks, government forces have continued a military operation against the “Al-Shabab” movement in villages and towns in the regions of Middle and Lower Shabelle and Hiran, in the south and center of the country.
For years, Somalia has been waging a war against Al-Shabab, which was founded in early 2004.
It is an armed movement ideologically affiliated with Al-Qaeda, and it has adopted many terrorist operations that have claimed hundreds of lives.