E-MAIL THIS LINK
To: 

Somali military raids Al-Shabaab base in Lower Shabelle region
[ShabelledMedia] The Somali military claimed to have overrun a key al-Shabaab
...... Somalia's version of the Taliban
...the Pashtun equivalent of men...
, functioning as an arm of al-Qaeda...

tax base in the Lower Shabelle region, south of the country.

The target of the special forces’ security operation was the financial center of the terrorist group and at the time of the attack, some al-Shabaab leaders were present at the center.
A senior militant leader of terrorist group al-Shabab has been killed and civilian hostages set free, according to a statement by Somalian authorities on Saturday.

The Somali National Army (SNA) conducted the military operation, killing al-Qaida-affiliated al-Shahab terrorist leader Carab, known by his short name, and wounding Osman Daud and Aw Maay, the other senior members of the terrorist organization, according to Daud Aways, the minister for Information, Culture, and Tourism.

The operation was carried out by an elite military unit of the SNA in the al-Shabab-controlled town of Mubarak, located 95 kilometers (59 miles) southwest of Mogadishu, according to a statement issued by his ministry.

"Special forces of the Somali national army (SNA) have destroyed al-Shabab's financial center in Mubarak area of Lower Shabelle region of Southwest State of Somalia, killing the leader of al-Shabab in the area and wounding nearly a dozen," the statement said.

During the operation, it freed several civilians who were being held by al-Shabab in the center, it added.

Residents in Mubarak, where the operation took place, told Anadolu Agency (AA) that several civilians were killed and more than a dozen others were injured during the airstrike.

They were taken to hospitals in Mogadishu for treatment, they added.

The Somali government has not responded to the claim of an airstrike.

While al-Shabab claimed on its propaganda website that the airstrike in Mubarak late Friday killed at least 10 people and injured 20 more.

Since U.S. President Joe Biden authorized the redeployment of U.S. troops in Somalia, the country has seen an increase in airstrikes against al-Shabab terrorists, most recently in the Hiran region, which killed more than 14 terrorists.
Somali National Army and allies have been conducting security operations across the country mainly targeting Al-Shabaab militants and their taxation centers. It's through these centers the militants collect money from locals, consequently, using it to purchase weapons.

An audit carried out by the United Nations indicated that the militants have been setting aside $24 million for the purchase of weapons from their $100 annual budget. While most of this money comes from extortion, some come from the group's financiers abroad.

Meanwhile, al-Shabaab claimed to have fired a drone strike in Mubarak which killed 7 ‘most of them truckers and farmers. However, the reports could not be independently verified, but the US army recently confirmed that the militants are capable of using drones having sort improved technology.
Posted by: trailing wife 2022-09-12
http://www.rantburg.com/poparticle.php?ID=643799