Somali officials report that 130 al-Shabab militants were killed Thursday when government forces repelled attacks on four military bases in the Middle Shabelle region.
According to Somalia’s Ministry of Information, the militants used explosives to launch coordinated assaults on the bases, but Somali National Army (SNA) troops successfully defended their positions.
“Al-Shabab suffered a heavy defeat, and our brave heroes are actively pursuing the remaining militants. Somalia will never falter in its fight against terrorism,” the ministry stated.
Government forces also recovered weapons from the militant fighters, officials said.
The latest clashes come as Somali forces, backed by local clan militias, continue operations to secure rural villages along the Shabelle River that were recently liberated from al-Shabab control.
General Ibrahim Mumin, commander of the SNA’s 3rd Division, told VOA Somali that the attacks “failed” as government troops pushed back the militants.
Meanwhile, in a separate development, U.S. warplanes carried out two airstrikes this month targeting high-ranking operatives of the Islamic State affiliate in northeastern Somalia. The strikes hit the terror group’s stronghold in the mountainous region, officials said.