Somalian army recaptures ‘strategic’ southern town from Al-Shabaab

The Somalian National Army (SNA) has recaptured the strategic town of El-Salin, which is about 20 kilometres away from Marka, the capital of lower Shabelle region in southern Somalia, from the the Al-Qaeda linked Al-Shabaab militant group, government officials said on Sunday, 23rd June.

The commander of the US-trained forces known as Danab in the region, Abdurahman Janaqar, has confirmed that his troops captured El-Salin in a successful, a key Al-Shabaab stronghold town in the region, on Sunday.

“The Somali army is fighting to liberate Al-Shabaab-held towns in the country. Now they captured El-Salin village which was pivotal for Al-Shabaab militants in lower Shabelle region in the past,” he added.

Meanwhile, the governor of Somalia’s Lower Shabelle region, Ibrahim Adan Ali, also known as Najah, has thanked the troops who pushed Al-Shabaab fighters out of the town on Sunday for the successful operation.

“I thank our troops who flushed out Al-Shabaab militants from this town which is very important for us”,he said.

El-Salin town is located in Lower Shabelle region of Somalia and links the towns of Gandarshe and Dhanane in the agricultural-rich province.

Al-Shabaab militants have not yet commented over the claim by SNA commanders on the town’s capture and the ongoing military operations in the Lower Shabelle region.

The SNA, backed by AMISOM (African Union Mission in Somalia) forces kicked out Al-Shabaab fighters from the capital, Mogadishu in August 2011, but the militant group, which wants to overthrow the UN-backed government and impose its own version of Sharia law, still controls swathes of rural areas in southern Somalia and frequently carries out deadly attacks in the capital.