Major Blow to Al-Shabab: Senior Leaders Killed and Captured in Barire Operation
Somalia’s Al-Shabab terrorist group suffered a significant setback with the killing and capture of several of its senior leaders and fighters during the liberation of Barire.
Somali National Army forces arrested dozens of Al-Shabab members, while the Somali Chief of Defence Forces visited Barire following its liberation.
According to the Somali National News Agency, the army captured key leaders and fighters of the group during the military operation that freed the strategically important area in Lower Shabelle region.
The same source reported that a large number of Al-Shabab militants were also killed during the operation.
Meanwhile, Commander of the Somali National Army’s land forces, General Sahl Abdullahi Omar, inspected the strategic Barire area today.
During the visit, he toured trenches and positions previously held by Al-Shabab, where numerous militant bodies were found alongside large caches of weapons and other military equipment.
The commander of the Somali Army’s 17th commando battalion, General Ali Agay, briefed the chief on the security situation and explained how forces had secured stability in the area.
General Sahl Abdullahi Omar praised the bravery and professionalism of the Somali army and the Ugandan People’s Defence Forces who took part in the operation, urging them to step up efforts to eliminate the Al-Shabab militia that continues to inflict suffering on the Somali people.
Last Friday, Somali Defence Minister Ahmed Moalim Fiqi announced that more than 120 Al-Shabab fighters had been killed and several others wounded in military operations in Lower Shabelle.
Speaking at a press conference, the minister detailed that the operations were carried out by the Somali army in cooperation with Ugandan forces participating in the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS).
He commended the national army and international partners supporting the government in its fight against terrorism, stating: “Our army has achieved victory and lifted the spirits of our people. The war will continue until all of Somalia is cleansed of the scourge of terrorism.”
