Somali army kills 15 al-Shabab militants

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Mogadishu, July 5 (IANS) The Somali National Army (SNA) said its forces killed 15 al-Shabab militants in a fierce fighting in the central part of the country.

SNA spokesman, Ali Hashi Abdi said that several insurgents were also injured during Sunday's fighting near Dhusamareb town, the administrative capital of Galmudug state, reports Xinhua news agency.

Abdi said that the forces also recovered weapons after the militants ambushed the SNA soldiers in an area between Dhusamareb town and El-Dhere village in Galmudug.

"The SNA forces killed 15 al-Shabab fighters and injured others and recovered 10 guns in fighting between Guriel and Dhusamareb towns in Galgaduud region of central Somalia this morning," Abdi told SNA Radio.

He added that the operation came after SNA received an intelligence report that al-Shabab militants were planting landmines along the main road.

The terrorist group which has been fighting the internationally-backed government claimed to have killed eight soldiers including a senior army commander in the attack.

Such a deadly attack comes as the country's electoral process is due to start at regional states that will culminate in presidential elections in October.

The latest operations come as government forces have intensified operations against al-Shabab in the central and southern regions.

Al-Shabab has been designated as a terrorist organisation by Australia, Canada, Malaysia, the United Arab Emirates, the UK and the US.

The US State Department has open bounties on several of the group's senior commanders.

It has carried out major attacks including the September 2013 Westgate shopping mall attack (71 deaths), October 2017 Mogadishu bombings (587 deaths) and December 2019 Mogadishu bombing (over 85 deaths).

--IANS

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