Somalia: Security forces kill nearly 70 Al-Shabab terrorists in Galmudug region

Somalia’s state forces, on Friday, killed 67 Al-Shabab terrorists and inflicted injuries on several others. The clashes happened in the Galmudug region in the central part of the country. Addressing local media reporters, Somalia's Information Minister of Galmung Ahmed Shire said that local residents and regional forces repulsed the attack by terrorists. Al-Shabab is a Somalia-based Islamic insurgence group active in East Africa, which has declared a war against those who they deem as ‘enemies of Islam.' 

“The army and the local residents repelled an attack by Al-Shabab on the town on Friday,” Shire said of the heavy fighting which the locals said ensued for about two hours.

Notably, some of the terrorists fled the scene, leaving local authorities concerned about potential clashes and rising death toll. But the local residents said that relative calm has been restored in the town now, which is under the control of Galmudug security forces. In the aftermath, the government forces have vowed to intensify security operations in the central and southern regions until the insurgents who have conducted terror attacks to kill and maim innocent residents will have been wiped out from the regions.

The incident comes days after the UN Security Council voted unanimously to endorse the African Union’s new transitional mission in Somalia and authorized it to take action against Al-Qaeda and Islamic State extremist groups and conduct a phased handover of security responsibilities to Somalia’s government. According to the Associated Press, the African Union Transitional Mission in Somalia replaced the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) which has been in the Horn of Africa nation for 15 years trying to build lasting peace and security.

Africa constantly in crisis

Earlier this year, African Union (AU) Commission Chairperson Moussa Faki Mahamat claimed that in Africa, the humanitarian crisis is a constant cause of concern, during his speech at the AU Extraordinary Humanitarian Summit and Pledging Conference on Friday. Mahamat stressed that Africa's humanitarian emergencies are geographically dispersed and have become a constant source of concern. As part of the AU Extraordinary Humanitarian Summit and Pledging Conference, African leaders gathered in Malabo, Equatorial Guinea's capital on Friday to discuss long-term answers to the continent's present humanitarian difficulties.

(File Image: AP)