​Somalia: Jubaland President visits troops at frontline

KISMAYO, Somalia- Jubaland State President Ahmed Madobe has on Saturday visited frontlines outskirts of Kismayo to boost the morale of his troops battling al-Shabaab fighters, Garowe Online reports.

The President who was accompanied by several army commanders paid a courtesy visit to an army barracks in Abdalla Birole, after they had successfully pushed the militants out of the area last year.

Local media showed footage of President Madobe in a military uniform, addressing soldiers who have been battling the Al-Qaeda-linked militants for months during which some of their comrades were killed.

Jubaland leader has traveled in armored vehicles belonging to AMISOM to reach the area which lies about 45 kilometers north of the port town of Kismayo, the regional capital of Lower Jubba region.

During his visit, Madobe said he wanted to closely monitor the situation on the ground and get first hand information about the circumstances of Jubaland soldiers in the combat against al-Shabaab.

Meanwhile, the President called on the Jubaland troops to prepare for a military offensive aimed at pushing al-Shabaab group out of the entire towns in Somalia’s Lower and Middle Juba regions.

al-Shabaab, which is believed to have thousands of fighters, controls large swathes of Middle and Lower Juba regions in southern Somalia and regularly launches attacks against AMISOM bases.

Jubaland troops backed by African Union peacekeepers (AMISOM), mainly Kenyan Defense force (KDF) soldiers have wrested control of several areas from al-Shabaab fighters in Lower Jubba region in 2012.

GAROWEONLINE