Senior Al-Shabaab leaders captured in Somalia

Ugandan troops serving with the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) [AMISOM Public Information/Flickr]

MOGADISHU, Somalia - Three senior Al-Shabaab members are the latest victims of the state, the government of Somalia has announced, following the latest crackdown within the fragile Galgaduud area in central Somalia where the militants have been in control for the last couple of years according to security forces.

The government announced that the senior Al-Shabaab militants were arrested in the Sudan area where they are believed to have planned a series of attacks against the government forces, senior government officials, and members of security forces who have been working hard to secure the country.

Sunday's operation targeted Hul Adur and Halaney areas within Eldheer District of Galgaduud region, the government confirmed in a statement. The operation comes before the second phase of a crackdown against the militants who control large swathes of rural central and southern Somalia.

Those arrested include Abdi Mohamed, Ali Abgalow, and Mohamud Alasow who are said to have been responsible for collecting bribe money from public vehicles traveling within the Galgadud region. Al-Shabaab makes millions of dollars from extorting innocent business owners.

"The army has been looking for the three of them, who were hiding in the Hul-Adur area, for the past few days," said a statement from the Somali government, noting that the individuals will be subjected to the military court for prosecution as required in the law.

Officials from government forces in the Eldher district added that they would continue operations against al-Shabaab in the Galgaduud region of the Galmudug administration. Galgaduud witnessed the crackdown in the first phase which left slightly over 3,000 militants dead according to the government of Somalia.

Last week, President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud announced that the second phase of operations against Al-Shabaab will target Jubaland and Southwest with soldiers from Kenya, Djibouti, and Ethiopia who are not serving in ATMIS expected to join. The soldiers, he said, will serve for a period of three months.

The European Union and the US have pumped resources into the country which are helping the government to install civilian administration in areas that have been liberated. It is anticipated that the money will help in the drilling of clean water projects among others across the country.

GAROWE ONLINE