Somalia Government says National Army kills 1,700 Alshabab in One Year

The Federal government of Somalia has announced that the National Army has killed 1,700 al-Shabab fighters, including 57 senior leaders, and injured hundreds more during military offensives in the country over the past year.

The Minister of Information, Culture, and Tourism, Daud Awis, stated that the troops, in collaboration with local forces and international partners, have liberated 120 villages, districts, and major towns from al-Shabab. They also claimed to have destroyed 73 Al Shabaab bases along with a significant amount of weapons and military equipment.

He added that Abdullahi Nadir, one of the co-founders of the armed group al-Shabab, was among the leaders killed in an operation with international partners last October. The country’s information ministry said he was al-Shabab’s chief prosecutor and was in line to replace the group’s leader, Ahmed Diriye, who is sick as reported by the government.

Two major towns that the government of Somalia recaptured without resistance were Harardhere and Galcad. Harardhere is a key coastal town and a former pirate hub. It was the biggest and most strategic town in Galmudug that was still in the hands of al-Shabab until last January.