In a collaborative military effort between the Somali National Army and international forces, 100 members of the Al-Qaeda-affiliated extremist group, Al-Shabaab, were killed in Somalia.
Deputy Minister of Information of Somalia Abdulrahman Yusuf Al-Adala confirmed on Saturday in a press statement that “100 militants from the Al-Khawarij militias linked to Al-Qaeda, including prominent leaders, were killed in a military operation.”
According to the Somali News Agency (SONNA), Yusuf stated that the military operation took place in cooperation between the national army and international partners along the border between the central regions of Shabelle and Middle Juba.
The deputy minister further added that the operation led to the destruction of 14 military vehicles belonging to the militias, as well as a base where the militants had been assembling, resulting in significant losses for the extremist group.
Al-Shabaab, a powerful Al-Qaeda affiliate, is active in Somalia through its terrorist arm, “Al-Shabaab Movement.” It engages in fierce battles against government forces in various parts of the country, which faces multiple crises.
The terrorist movement was founded in the early 2004s as the military arm of the Union of Islamic Courts, which was defeated by forces loyal to the interim Somali government. However, it later split from the courts and joined what is known as the Somali opposition alliance.
The group adopts a “Salafi jihadist” ideology and seeks to establish an “Islamic state.” It primarily fights against Western and African foreign presence in the country, targeting the Somali army and government officials, whom it perceives as collaborators with the occupiers.
