Conquering Al-Shabaab: Week-long operations leave militants dead

MOGADISHU - Somalia may have made huge strides in the fight against Al-Shabaab, with a week-long operation leaving several militants dead across the country, a progressive step towards stabilization of the country which has struggled with insecurity for three decades.

For the last week, Somali National Army [SNA] commandos with special assistance from the US Africa Command and African Union Transition Mission in Somalia [ATMIS] have ransacked several hotspots, killing senior Al-Shabaab commanders and a number of fighters in the process, authorities say.

General Abdullahi Ali Aanood, the spokesperson of the Ministry of Defence, says the coordinated operations may have as well leftover 200 militants dead within the last seven days based on estimates from the frontline. The operations were coordinated across the country, he added.

For instance, Wednesday's operations at El-Qurac village left over 30 militants dead with Gal Libaax village also recording several deaths, as authorities estimated that over 70 militants may have been killed. The US Africa Command participated in the onslaught, the Ministry of Information revealed.

In addition to this operation, several al-Shabaab fighters were killed in the Galcad and Budbud areas of the Middle Shabelle region by the Somali military and allied forces, state media reports. Operations have also been conducted in the Hobyo rural area of the Mudug region and the forest under Welmarow village in Lower Juba.

In Weelmarow, dozens of the militants died following three US Africa Command airstrikes, with the Somali National Army also conducting separate operations against the militants. The Al-Shabaab militants denied losing frontlines despite evidence displayed by the Somali National Army, which has been the face of the operations.

These recent operations have significantly weakened al-Shabaab’s capabilities. The Somali government and its international partners remain committed to continuing the fight against al-Shabaab and are confident that they will eventually defeat the group, the Ministry of information added.

In the coming weeks, the national army is set to unveil the second phase of operations against Al-Shabaab, which will target Jubaland and Southwest states. Jubaland President Ahmed Islam Mohamed Madobe has already met teams that are set to cooperate with the national army and foreign troops in confronting the group.

The gains come at the time the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia [ATMIS] started implementation of the Somali Transition Plan [STP] which will see the exit of quite a number of soldiers. Already, over 2,000 have left the country with an additional 1,990 set to leave by the end of September.

It is anticipated that by December 2024, the Somali National Army will be in charge of security responsibilities in the country. Hussein Sheikh Ali, the National Advisor to the presidency, recently maintained that the country has trained enough troops who will seal the gap left by ATMIS peacekeepers.

President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud maintains that the war against the Al-Qaeda-linked group will not end soon, adding that "all Somalis should take weapons against the enemy". Sheikh Mohamud has been on the frontline, visiting combat troops in various parts of the country.

Al-Shabaab militants have been fighting to topple the fragile UN-backed federal government of Somalia for the last 16 years. The government of Somalia has also enforced measures to block Al-Shabaab's revenue sources, leading to the closure of several bank accounts and mobile money transfer firms in the country.

GAROWE ONLINE