By Steve Balestrieri Tuesday February 23, 2020Photo of Danab Special Operations Unit: SNA
Photo of Danab Special Operations Unit: SNA
The SNA military operation against the Somali affiliate of the al-Qaeda terrorist group took place in Mushaani, Daniga, and Majabta, according to Somali military radio. The Somali government is increasing the pressure on the terrorist group in the region.
Although Somalia is reeling politically from the delayed presidential elections, the military is aggressively trying to counter the terrorist attacks that al-Shabaab conducts.
Nevertheless, the delayed election affects the nation’s stability and the outcome of this deadlock may cause a ripple effect on the social, political, and economic relations in the Horn of Africa.
On Thursday, in the Lower Shabelle region, the SNA conducted another large operation. The military said that it had received intelligence that the terrorist group’s members were active in the villages close to the towns of Qoryoley and Janale.
During the operation, the SNA killed 20 terrorists, including senior commanders, while several Somali soldiers were wounded in the fighting. The Somali troops had taken the strategically important town of Janale, which is about 60 miles southwest of the capital of Mogadishu, earlier in 2020 but al-Shabaab had moved back into the area.
Back in 2018, al-Shabaab was very active in the area and conducted several attacks on towns and villages, government bases, and African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) peacekeeping forces.