Sunday October 22, 2023
Mogadishu (HOL) - The Somali National Army (SNA) has killed 1,700 al-Shabab militants, including 57 senior leaders, and injured hundreds more during military offensives in the country over the past year, the government announced on Saturday.
The Minister of Information, Culture, and Tourism, Daud Awis Jama, stated that the troops, in collaboration with local forces and international partners, have liberated 120 villages, districts, and major towns from al-Shabab. They also destroyed 73 militant bases along with a significant amount of weapons and military equipment.
"More than a thousand kilometres of territory have been reclaimed from the Khawarij within a year, and in addition, 120 areas and districts have been wrested from al-Shabab. The pursuit of the group is ongoing," Minister Jama emphasized.
The Minister added that Abdullahi Nadir, one of the co-founders of the armed group al-Shabab, was among the leaders killed in an operation with international partners last October. The country's information ministry said he was al-Shabab's chief prosecutor and was in line to replace the group's leader, Ahmed Diriye, who is sick.
Two major towns that the Somali government recaptured without resistance were Harardhere and Galcad. Harardhere is a key coastal town and a former pirate hub. It was the biggest and most strategic town in Galmudug that was still in the hands of al-Shabab until last January.
The capture of Galcad, about 375 kilometres north of Mogadishu and Harardhere, indicates the government-led offensive against al-Shabab in central Somalia is progressing.
Since President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud assumed power in May 2022, the government has been actively engaged in a robust campaign against Al-Shabaab militants. Mohamud has been working from Dhusamareb since early August.