Somali Commandos trained in Turkey return home

A large number of Somali commondos who completed military training in Turkey have returned home where they were received by the Commander of Somalia’s National Army land forces, Gen. Mohamed Tahalil and other senior officials.

Military officials told the media that the troops received modern commando training in Isparta, Turkey, and will be deployed on the frontline to fight against the al-Qaeda affiliated group al-Shabaab.

Turkey has been training Somali soldiers for the last four years as part of a 2010 military training cooperation agreement.

Since a groundbreaking visit by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in 2011, Turkey and Somalia have enjoyed deep-rooted relations spanning several fields.

Last week, the two governments emphasized strengthening military corporations between the two countries in the presence of Somalia’s national military chief Odawa Yusuf Rageh in Turkey.