...... the personification of Somali state failure...commander in Lower Shabelle region as they repulsed an attack against their base.
Mohammed Nur Shire, al-Shabaab’s ringleader in the province, and 13 others were killed by the government troops during the counter-attack, according to the state media.
The incident took place in Janale village which is under the control of the government. It lies 100KMs northwest of Mogadishu, the Somali capital.
In a separate operation, Somali troops on Friday killed 19 al-Shabaab members near Bal’ad district in Middle Shabelle region, about 30Kms north of Mogadishu.
The
...a semiautonomous region in central Somalia, bordering Puntland on the north. Galmudug is not trying to obtain international recognition as a separate nation, but rather considers itself autonomous within the larger Somali federalism, for what that's worth...
, Southwest, and Hirshabelle States to the Somali army backed by the local residents taking part in the war since last month.