Hiiraan Online
Monday, July 04, 2016
Somali National Forces (SNA) and the Somali police have begun an operation on Monday to flush out Al Shabaab militants believed to have sneaked into Beled Hawo town in southern Somalia.
Beled Hawo police boss, Hussein Adan Dhaqane said they received several tips by members of the community that Al Shabaab militants had infiltrated the town and were out to planning to cause harm to the residents.
“We have heard that two Al Shabaab members have come to Beled Hawo and we are afraid they may be plotting attacks against us. These are operations to track them down,” Hussein said.
He added that they are also searching for a car belonging to the Beled Hawo General Hospital which was stolen by Al Shabaab militants.
Beled Hawo shares border with Mandera in the Kenyan side where Al Shabaab infiltration is common. Mandera has been the scene of frequent Al- Shabab attacks that have killed scores of civilians and security personnel.
On July 1st, suspected Al Shabab gunmen killed at least six people when they shot at two buses traveling in Mandera County in northern Kenya. US State Department had issued travel warnings to the area only hours before the attack but it was quickly rebuffed by Kenyan Authorities who dismissed it as unfair.