This archive report was first published on 19 August 2021.
On August 18, 2021, a joint operation by the Somali army and local forces in the central regions resulted in the deaths of 25 Al-Shabaab fighters, the Somali government announced.
The operation, which took place on Tuesday and Wednesday, also led to the demise of five Galmudug State combatants allied to the federal government, including the commander of Galmudug's Horseed Battalion, Mohamed Ali, as stated in a Ministry of Information statement.
The fighting primarily occurred at Aad Village in Mudug region, where the forces have been waging military offensives against Al-Shabaab strongholds in the Mugug region over the last two months.
During this period, the Somali army, in collaboration with Galmudug State forces, has seized strategic towns such as Ba'aadweyn and Qay'ad, and is closing in on Haradhere, a former hub notorious for harbouring Somali pirates, but lately held by the Al-Qaeda linked Al-Shabaab group.
On Monday, the Somali government reported that, in operations over the last months, it had killed hundreds of jihadist militants, gaining control of five towns and sixteen villages, and destroying 20 Al-Shabaab bases and four vehicles intended for the transportation of Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs).
The government has pledged to work with federal member states to combat Al-Shabaab, amidst the country's preparations for a Presidential election, which will culminate in a presidential poll on October 10.
