...... the Islamic version of the old Somali warlord...
is defeated in latest offensive in central region, but the group remains a major threat.
The SNA and pro-government tribal militias have been raising victory flags in Galmudug
...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...
and HirShabelle, one of the last strongholds of the terror group for the past 6 months.
The latest reports indicate that the combined troops raided al-Shabaab hideouts on Hiran-Middle Shabelle regions and engaged in hours-long shootout with the holy warriors.
The face-to-face fighting took place in a small town called Inji, which straddles the border between the two regions, where is known for frequent festivities and US military
...KABOOM!...
s.
The al-Qaeda-linked turbans retain a presence in the southern and central regions and are active in countryside, where they orchestrate the attacks, including those meant to Mogadishu.
The commanders who led the Inji operation reported an airstrike targeted al-Shabaab during the battle that they said inflicted irretrievable losses on the fighters.
Al-Shabaab lost Af’ad, where it seized on Wednesday from the allied forces.
Confirming the victory, SNA officer said the forces would continue operations against al-Shabaab cells, which he said were "a great threat to our country and the whole region".
The SNA and Ma’wisley alliance began a final assault on al-Shabaab at the start of 2023, with aim to retake the remaining areas under the group’s control.
Many al-Shabaab fighters have been reported abandoned some villages in HirShabelle and Galmudug, but those who stayed put up fierce resistance, deploying jacket wallahs and boom-mobiles targeting SNA’s new bases.