MOGADISHU (Halbeeg News) – At least 4 al-Shabaab senior leaders alongside hundreds of their fighters were in clashes with Somali forces in central Somalia, the information ministry confirmed.
In a statement, the ministry said the operation against al-Shabaab fighters which took place in Af’ad village of the Hiiraan region killed fighters.
“More than 50 al-Shabaab fighters were killed in a well-planned operation jointly carried out by Somali military, local forces and international partners in Af-ad village of Hiiraan region,” the statement reads in part.
According to the statement by the ministry, over 300 al-Shabaab fighters were also killed in 72-hour-long security operations in Hirshabelle, Galmudug and Jubbaland states.
Among the senior al-Shabaab leaders killed in the operations are Yussuf Ali Sheikh, head of al-Shabaab in Fidow, Salad Mohamud Siyad, head of al-Shabaab financial department in Middle Shabelle and Abdihakim Nur Guled.
They were all killed in fighting with Somali forces in Iji village.
Mohamed Indhofiq who was an al-Shabaab commander leading fighters in Af’ad village was killed in the fighting.
Somal government forces in cooperation with local clan militias intensified operations against al-Shabaab fighters in central Somalia.
The forces recaptured dozens of villages and towns in the Hiiraan, Galgadud, Mudug and Middle Shabelle regions.
Over 2,000 fighters were killed in operations since last July.
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