(09-07-23) MOGADISHU – The Somali National Armed Forces and ATMIS Kenyan and US troops, claim a major victory, killing dozens of militants, capturing six members of the extremist group 3 of them Kenyan nationals, and intercepting a vehicle laden with explosives in the Lower Juba region on Sunday. The captured militants were swiftly transported to the Afmadow District for subsequent proceedings.
The operation, bolstered by the US military mission in Africa (AFRICOM), took place in Welmaro village, 40 kilometres from Afmadow, a region notorious for Al-Shabaab activity. AFRICOM confirmed that they conducted three self-defence strikes targeting Al-Shabaab militants in support of Somali forces.
These airstrikes occurred Sunday night, in a remote area near the Afmadow district, approximately 105 km north of Kismayo. AFRICOM added that in collaboration with the Somali forces, they estimate that ten Al-Shabaab members were killed in this operation. Importantly, no civilian casualties were reported during the operation.
General Ali Mohamud Badmadow, Commander of the National Armed Forces’ 43rd Division, confirmed these details in a press briefing, underscoring the strategic importance of the operation and its impact on Al-Shabaab’s activities in the region. Bodies of the slain militants were later displayed, serving as a stark reminder of the country’s intensified efforts to tackle the extremist threat.
Backed by international partners, the operation forms part of an ongoing endeavour to disrupt Al-Shabaab’s plans to harm innocent civilians and undermine national security. The Somali National Army, particularly the elite Danab unit, played a key role in the success of this counter-terrorism operation.
