Somalia's military operations claim 59 Al-Shabaab militants, 4 soldiers

In two military operations in southern and central Somalia, 59 Al-Shabaab militants and four Somali soldiers were killed, the nation's Information Ministry confirmed on October 8.

The Somali National Army (SNA), in coordination with local militias and international security forces, launched the operations against al-Shabaab, a group affiliated with al-Qaeda, in the eastern parts of the Galgaduud and Middle Shabelle regions, Caliber.Az reports via Somalia's media.

The ministry's statement referred to the militants as "Kharijites," a term regularly employed by the Somali government when describing the group.

The first operation, conducted in the Garilay area of Galgaduud, resulted in the deaths of 32 militants. During the same clash, four Somali soldiers also lost their lives.

The second operation took place in the village of Yaaqle, near Hawadlay in the Middle Shabelle region, where 27 al-Shabaab fighters were killed.

Notably, there has been a noticeable rise in targeted operations against al-Shabaab leaders and fighters in recent years, with substantial losses inflicted upon the group.

Since 2022, Somali government troops, supported by local militias and international allies, have regularly carried out offensives against the militants.

On October 6, Somali Defence Minister Abdulkadir Mohamed Nur announced at a press conference in Mogadishu that over 100 al-Shabaab militants had been killed in an operation in the Galguduud province, with several others wounded.

Somalia continues to face significant security challenges, with threats primarily stemming from al-Shabaab and Daesh/ISIS militants. Al-Shabaab has been engaged in armed conflict with the Somali government and the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS) since 2007.

The militant group has intensified its attacks following Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud's declaration of an "all-out war" against them.

By Aghakazim Guliyev