The Somali Prime Minister Hamse Abdi Barre and his retinue have visited Beledweyne, the capital of Hiran Region to investigate the drought situation and boost the morale of government troops battling al-Shabaab insurgents in the region.
According to a statement from his office to APA, the Prime Minister held a meeting with the regional administration and various sectors of society over the state of social affairs in Beledweyne and the impact of the drought on the region.
He praised the operations of the army in the campaign against al-Shabaab, liberating many areas which were under the control of the insurgents in recent weeks.
Together with the president of the Hir Shabelle regional administration, Ali Abdullahi Guudlawe, the federal prime minister inspected detachments of the Somali Armed Forces active in the region, describing them as heroes defending their country, its people and their religion.
Mr. Hamse has pledged more government support for the army in its campaign against the militants and local people who had made life difficult for the insurgents who have been waging a conflict to impose a theocratic government in Somali since 2010.
Earlier in Beledweyne, the Minister of Defence, the Commander of the Armed Forces, MPs and other officials briefed the Prime Minister on the situation of the war against al-Shabaab which since 2011 had lost swathes of territory it once controlled inside Somalia.
Despite this setback, the group still retains the capacity to launch suicide bombings and other attacks on the capital Mogadishu and other parts of the country.
Somalia has been mired in political instability since the toppling of veteran military strongman Siad Barre in 1991.
WN/as/APA