On September 24, at least 70 terrorists from the al-Shabaab* movement were killed in the north-central province of Mudug in Somalia. The operation was carried out by the Somali National Army.
The province's militia, in conjunction with the Somali Army raided the terrorist group's hideouts and meeting places in the town of Aad.
The operation resulted in the death of ringleaders of the terrorist group, stated the Somali Deputy Information Minister Abdirahman Yusuf Al Adala, who informed the local media about the situation.
"Recent military actions in Mudug and Galgaduud have dealt significant blows to Khawarij and their militias," stated Somali Defense Ministry as cited by media.
The Somali government uses the term Khawarij to describe al-Shabaab, a terrorist group affiliated with Al-Qaeda*.
On Saturday, a suicide bomber packed the truck with explosives and blew it up at a checkpoint in Somalia's Beledweyne, making it the deadliest terrorist act committed in the country this year.
Somalia's Defense Ministry informed that on the same day, seberal top al-Shabaab leaders were killed during an airstrike in Elbur, a town controlled by al-Shabaab, according to media.
It was reported earlier this month that al-Shabaab killed over 160 Ethiopian soldiers in western Somalia.
Due to setbacks in the fight with militant forces, the Somali government has recently requested the UN to delay the withdrawal of African Union (AU) peacekeepers in the region.
The Somali government has intensified its efforts to combat al-Shabaab. In 2022, President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud announced a "total war" against the terrorists. These efforts include financial resources and military fronts, among others, with the main goal of defeating the group by the end of 2023.
* Al-Shabaab and Al-Qaeda* are a terrorists groups banned in Russia and many other countries.