The Federal Government of Somalia now says more than 3 000 Al-Shabaab militants have been killed and 3 700 injured since the start of government-led military operations against the Al-Qaeda linked terrorist outfit six months ago.
Since assuming office in May last year, President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud has launched a major offensive against the Al-Shabaab militants. The terror outfit is also responsible for major attacks in neighboring countries including Kenya and Uganda. According to a report by Somalia’s Defence Ministry, about 70 towns and villages have been liberated from the hands of the Al-Shabaab by the Somali National Forces with the support of the locals.
“This comes as the country inches closer to the second phase of this military offensive against the terror group that has visited havoc, ruin and pain on Somali citizens for the past decade,” a statement released by President Mohamud’s government reads in part.
The revelation comes at a time when the Federal Government of Somalia has announced that it is set to launch a major security operation in the capital Mogadishu to bar terrorists form targeting the City and civilians in retaliation.
The Internal Security Ministry has indicated that the operation is aimed at protecting the city and its civilians, adding that the government wants to ensure that the people’s safety is not disturbed during this Holy Month of Ramadan.
The Kenyan military is among the forces currently serving under the AU Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS) alongside troops from Burundi, Djibouti, Ethiopia, and Uganda and are tasked with helping Somali forces fight the Al-Shabaab which continues to wreak havoc in the region despite progress in degrading it.
Kenyan troops first entered Somalia in 2011 when the country launched a military offensive against the Al-Shabaab in an operation code-named “Operation Linda Nchi” to counter a rising insurgency that saw a number of tourists abducted from the Kenyan coast.
As a result of Kenya’s involvement in Somalia, the country has suffered several large-scale and small-scale attacks from the Shabaab militant group both in the country and Kenya’s security installations outside the country.
