120 al-Shabaab Militants Killed in Operation in Somalia

Somalia’s Defense Minister Ahmed Moalim Fiqi has announced that more than 120 al-Shabaab militants were killed and several others wounded in large-scale military operations in the Lower Shabelle region in the country’s south.

Speaking at a press conference late Friday, Fiqi hailed the Somali National Army’s success and vowed that the fight against terrorism would continue until the country is completely free of extremist threats.

The operations were conducted by Somali troops in coordination with Ugandan Defense Forces, part of the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS). According to the Somali National News Agency (SONNA), the joint forces targeted key militant hideouts, capturing all major strongholds in the area.

Government sources reported that troops are now conducting follow-up sweeps to collect weapons and recover the bodies of the militants killed in the offensive.

The latest military success follows the strategic capture of the town of Barire in Lower Shabelle. The Somali army, backed by Ugandan forces, secured full control of the area last week after a series of fierce clashes with al-Shabaab fighters.