Al-Shabaab suffers blow in latest Somali army crackdown

MOGADISHU, Somalia - The Al-Shabaab militants on Friday suffered a huge blow following the crackdown engineered by the Somali National Army [SNA], who have been instrumental in crushing the terror group, which still controls large swathes of rural central and southern Somalia.

During the operation carried out at Dinsor town within the Bay region in Southern Somalia, at least five Al-Shabaab militants were killed, in the most recent success against the militants, who have been wreaking havoc across the Horn of Africa nation.

Ibrahim Aden, who is the operations commander, said the militants were planning to attack a contingent of SNA soldiers within the region, necessitating the counterattack by the alert soldiers, who did not suffer any casualties during the incident.

Dozens of Al-Shabaab militants were injured during the operation and have since been seized by the military for further interrogation. Traditionally, such captives are subjected to a rigorous military court, which defines punishments for terrorists.

The commander urged residents to cooperate with the army, arguing that a safe Somalia means "peace and stability" within the Horn of Africa and across East Africa. The Al-Shabaab militants have the ability to wage attacks across the borders of Somalia.

Later this year, the Somali National Army is set to take over security responsibilities from a number of foreign troops serving in the country, especially those from the African Union Mission in Somalia. The AMISOM team has close to 22,000 soldiers mainly drawn from Kenya, Ethiopia, Uganda, Burundi, and Djibouti.

Already, the US army, which had around 700 soldiers in the war-torn nation, has withdrawn and repositioned elsewhere within East Africa. However, the command can still carry airstrikes against the Al-Shabaab militants who are fighting to topple the fragile UN-backed Somalia administration.

GAROWE ONLINE