The Somalian government reports that during a weekend airstrike near the Jamame District in the Lower Juba region, the Somali National Army forces killed 43 Al-Shabaab militants, including two senior commanders.
“The airstrike successfully eliminated key Al Shabaab leaders Aden Abdirahman Aden and Idris Abdirahim Nur, who was of Kenyan national origin, and a total of 43 Al-Shabaab fighters,” the Somali National News Agency (Sonna) reported on Monday.
At the military facility in Barsanguni, which is home to the Somali National Army and local forces, militants and their leaders met on Friday to discuss operations against government soldiers, according to Sonna, who claimed that the attack was carried out by “Somalia’s international partners.”
Although the statement did not identify the foreign partner that carried out the operation, US Africa Command drones frequently target extremist sites in Somalia.
“The successful disruption of this planned attack demonstrates the effectiveness of the ongoing efforts to combat Al-Shabaab and protect the people of Somalia,” the statement added.
Brigadier General Ibrahim Sheikh Muhyadin Addow has been proposed by Somalia’s Council of Ministers as the future leader of the Somali National Army.
According to a Somali Defence Ministry spokeswoman, General Odawa Yusuf, who has held the job since March 2019, was proposed to be fired before the appointment.
“General Addow brings a wealth of experience to his new role. He has previously held various military positions, including Commander of the National Presidential Guard Brigade,” the nomination statement said.
These military developments come at a time when the army, with the help of forces from neighbouring countries, is up for the second phase of an offensive against Al-Shabaab.
On June 5, News Central reported that 54 soldiers were killed on May 26 in Somalia in an attack claimed by radical Al-Shabaab. This assault on the African Union (AU) base, manned by Ugandan soldiers, took place in Bulo Marer, located 120 km southwest of the capital Mogadishu. It involved a car bomb, suicide bombers, and subsequent clashes with automatic weapons.