Somalia dispatches more troops to central region to fight Al-Shabaab

MOGADISHU, Somalia - The Ministry of Defence has dispatched more soldiers to central Somalia amid an ongoing crackdown against Al-Shabaab militants, with the country pushing to eliminate the terrorists who have been wreaking havoc in the Horn of Africa nation.

The Somali National Army [SNA] in collaboration with the US Africa Command, the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia [ATMIS] and local militia completed the first phase of operations against the group in HirShabelle and Galmadug states, leading to the death of over 3,000 militants.

The decision to send more soldiers to the region was informed by rising cases of Al-Shabaab attacks, even after the completion of the first phase. The troops are expected to commence the second phase of operations against the group, but they have to first comb central areas.

Some of the areas that will have additional troops include Adalle and Eldheer Districts in the Middle Shabelle and Galgadud regions. More troops have also been deployed to Elbur, Wabho, and Galhareeri after the militants increased attacks in the country.

Already, President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud has pitched tents in central areas, calling for support from the community which has also been cooperating closely with security forces. The clan mobilization in central regions had slowed down following the sacking of Hiiraan Governor Ali Jeyte Osman, who was the first of the operations against the group.

To bolster operations against Al-Shabaab, President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud has also requested support from Djibouti, Kenya, and Ethiopia for the deployment of non-ATMIS troops to the country, who are expected to stay in Somalia for three months.

Elsewhere, a military court in Somalia sentenced to ten years a man accused of being an Al-Shabaab spy, with evidence linking him directly to close cooperative with the militants. The accused, court documents show, has been receiving a monthly stipend of $130 to share information with the group.

He was arrested in January this year while in possession of a plastic bag containing millet and a pistol. The military court established that the man, Yusuf Ibrahim, joined the group in 2019 and has since been spying on the Somali National Army, especially during planned operations.

GAROWE ONLINE