2 yıl önce

Somali military captures Al Shabab stronghold

Teedaan village in Somalia's central Hiran region was reportedly liberated in ongoing operations.

AP Archive

Al Shabab has led an insurrection against Somalia's federal government for 15 years.

Several Al Shabab terrorists were killed after the Somali army conducted a military operation against the Al Qaeda-linked group in the central region of Hiran, liberating the group's stronghold.

A military official in the region reported on Sunday that during the operation the army liberated Teedaan village near the town of Mahas.

The grounds of the operation is located in Somalia's Hiran region, which has been the terrorists’ biggest base.

The official added the army's counterterrorism operations to hunt down the terrorists continue in the region.

Since the beginning of this month, the region of Hiran has seen a spike in military activities against Al Shabab terrorists who last month reportedly crossed the region's border with Ethiopia's Somali region.

Intensified attacks

Al Shabab has led an insurrection against Somalia's federal government for 15 years.

The group's fighters were driven out of Mogadishu in 2011 by an African Union force.

However, the group still controls swathes of the countryside and frequently strikes civilian and military targets. Its attacks have intensified in recent months.

In May, US President Joe Biden ordered the re-establishment of a US troop presence in Somalia to help local authorities combat Al Shabab, reversing a decision by his predecessor Donald Trump to withdraw most US forces.

Last week, a US air strike in the region killed at least four Al Shabab terrorists, US African Command (AFRICOM) said in a statement after the strike.