In an airstrike in central Somalia, the Somali government said Thursday, its forces killed 12 al Shabaab militants. In a southwestern region, the army killed another 35 Islamists who were trying to attack a military base. The airstrike, which was executed late on Wednesday, came after the al Qaeda-affiliated organization attacked a key local town.
Last month, al Shabaab, which seeks to take control and enforce its rigid version of Islamic law, temporarily took control of villages close to Mogadishu, sparking fears of possible strikes on the capital. The attack, carried out by Somali forces and the United States Africa Command (Africom) in the central Adan Yabaal district, killed a number of prominent al Shabaab fighters, according to the Somali government.
“The targeted attack struck a location that the terrorists used as a hiding and gathering place… In a statement on X, the Ministry of Information noted that civilian deaths were not reported. At least 35 fighters were reportedly slain by the national army on Thursday in a different event close to the city of Baidoa.
Heavy fighting occurred on Wednesday in the town of Adan Yabaal, located approximately 245km north of Mogadishu, which has served as an operating base for al Shabaab raids. The outcome of the battle remains unclear, with conflicting accounts from the government and al Shabaab regarding control of the town.
Al Shabaab claimed its forces had overrun 10 military installations during Wednesday’s fighting. Although Somali forces have recaptured villages briefly seized last month, al Shabaab continues to advance in the countryside, prompting the government to deploy police and prison guards in support of the military.
Al-Shabaab Attack Targeted At Somalia President
About 4 weeks ago, Al-Shabaab militants carried out a bomb attack targeting the motorcade of Somalia’s President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud in Mogadishu, as his convoy was traveling towards the airport.
After the attack, senior military and government sources told Reuters that President Mohamud was safe. Zakariye Hussein, the president’s counselor, wrote on X that the president was “good and well on his way to the frontlines.”
Soldiers and locals alike attested to the fact that the president’s convoy was struck. Four individuals were slain close to the presidential palace, according to a journalist on the scene.
The attack happened close to the presidential palace, at the intersection of Eel and Gaab.
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