Foreign fighters among militants killed in Somalia operation

FILE - Somali soldiers are seen at a military base about 450 km south of Mogadishu, Somalia, June 13, 2018.

MOGADISHU, Somalia - At least 10 foreign fighters were killed in an operation targeting Al-Shabaab militants in Somalia, the country's National Security and Intelligence Agency [NISA] confirmed, in the latest crackdown which comes a few weeks before the commencement of the second phase of operations against the group.

The spy agency said that the operation, which was aided by international partners, left at least 46 Al-Shabaab militants dead in Sharif Farm, about 8 kilometers north of Barire town within the troubled Lower Shabelle region. Barire town, 60 km south of Mogadishu is prone to frequent Al-Shabaab attacks.

Among the dead were 10 foreign fighters but the spy agency did not reveal their nationalities at the time of press. Previously, foreign fighters have been killed in Al-Shabaab operations with the majority of them coming from neighboring Kenya, Tanzania, Ethiopia, and even Uganda, with others coming from Pakistan and Yemen.

While the international partners who participated in the operation were not immediately mentioned, the Somali security forces have been beneficiaries of support from the US Africa Command and the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia [ATMIS] who help in aerial surveillance and ground combats respectively.

Statistics by the US Africa Command show that Al-Shabaab has close to 8,000 active fighters but the number may have reduced significantly following the first phase operation by the Somali National Army [SNA] which left over 3,000 dead. However, the number of active militants still remains a secret within the command of the group.

In the recent past, Al-Shabaab had conceded participation of the foreign mercenaries in sophisticated attacks with the most recent being attacks in the capital Mogadishu. The group gave names of foreign nationals who took part in the Manda Nabal Base attack in Kenya three years ago, further confirming their huge international network.

Data from the United Nations also indicates that the group makes up to $120 million annually from revenue collected through extortion and support from outside the country, with $24 million going to purchasing of weapons while the rest goes to payment of fighters and other logistics.

But the government has devised mechanisms for blocking revenue collection channels and has even closed down about 250 bank accounts and 70 mobile money transfer firms associated with the group. Business owners have also been warned against remittances to the militants, with those found culpable risking cancellation of their licenses.

The Al-Shabaab once admitted that it also supports foreign militants in West and Central Africa but the claims could not be verified. The latest setback against Al-Shabaab backs the government's commitment to the fight against the group, with the second phase of operations set to start soon.

GAROWE ONLINE