Al-Qaeda-linked Al-Shabaab militants killed in central Somalia

BELEDWEYNE, Somalia - At least six Al-Shabaab militants were killed in the Hiiran region on Tuesday, officials said, with the fight against the extremists picking momentum in various parts of the country under the stewardship of the Somali National Army (SNA).

Reports indicate that six militants were killed on Tuesday during an explosion in the Beera Yabal area in Hiiran, within Hirshabelle state. The affected individuals were assembling a bomb which exploded prematurely, leaving four others critically injured.

The SNA troops along with the US army and the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS) have been conducting operations against the group, which dominates most parts of the central and southern regions of the country.

This was the first explosion in Buulaburte District which was liberated from the al-Shabaab militants last year. Those killed, eyewitnesses said, were renowned members of the Al-Shabaab group and had been conducting the group's illegal activities in the region for the last several years.

This comes as the United Arab Emirates condemned the Al-Shabaab attack which targeted a market in Mogadishu, the capital of Somalia. The attack left over 10 people dead, with security forces now pursuing the militants, who planned and executed the attack.

In a statement, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) affirmed that the UAE expresses its strong condemnation of these criminal acts and its permanent rejection of all forms of violence. The Middle East nation pledged to work closely with Somalia to deal with violent extremist groups.

Somalia anticipates that by 2024 December, most militants will have been edged out of strategic areas, before the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS) soldiers move out of the country. ATMIS is expected to leave by the end of the year.

GAROWE ONLINE