Somalia’s elite DANAB Special Forces, backed by international partners, carried out a coordinated ground and air operation against al-Shabaab positions in the Harboole area of Lower Jubba, killing at least 11 militants, APA can report on Thursday.
Following the bombardment, DANAB forces advanced into the targeted area, entering caves, bunkers, and defensive positions used by the militants as safe havens.
Preliminary reports indicate that at least 11 al-Shabaab fighters were killed during the operation. The military officials say assessments are still underway to determine the full extent of militant casualties and the destruction of infrastructure used by the group.
International partners supporting Somalia’s counterterrorism campaign provided aerial support, conducting strikes against locations where al-Shabaab fighters were believed to be sheltering and coordinating activities.
On Wednesday, the Somali National Army along with Jubaland regional forces carried out joint operations against the militant group in Somalia’s southern Jubaland region, killing an unspecified number of militants, according to Jubaland Information Minister Abdifatah Mohamed Mukhtar.
Mukhtar said the offensive was conducted in the Dhasheeg-Waamo area of Lower Juba, targeting militant bases and logistical hubs.
Mukhtar told reporters that the operations include both ground assaults and airstrikes aimed at dismantling insurgent positions. The regional administration also said that weapons and military supplies were seized during the offensives.
He said the operations would continue until al-Shabaab fighters are cleared from the remaining areas where they maintain a presence in Jubaland.
Jubaland Information Minister Abdifatah Mohamed Mukhtar praised the troops involved in the campaign, describing their efforts as critical to restoring security and stability in the region.
He said recent gains reflected the capability and coordination of the security forces, urging them to sustain pressure on the militant group until lasting peace is achieved and al-Shabaab is fully removed from Jubaland territories.
al-Shabaab, which has waged an insurgency against the Somali government for more than 15 years, continues to carry out attacks in parts of southern and central Somalia despite sustained military pressure from Somali national and allied forces.
MG/as/APA