A joint operation between the Somali government and the United States military has resulted in the deaths of 10 al-Shabab militants in Beer Xaani town, approximately 60 northwest of Kismayo.
The operation, which was conducted with the help of US strikes, targeted a group of militants who were planning to launch an attack.
According to Somalia’s information ministry, no civilians were harmed during the operation.
The ministry’s statement, issued on Sunday, did not specify when the operation took place.
In a separate development, the United States military confirmed the killing of senior al-Shabab leader Mohamed Mire in an airstrike on December 24 near the town of Kunyo Barrow in Lower Shabelle region.
Mire, also known as Abu Abdirahman, was responsible for al-Shabaab’s regional governance in Somalia for the last 15 years and played a key role in the group’s strategic decision-making.
Al-Shabab, which has been fighting the Somali government for over 15 years, controls large areas in southern Somalia and pockets in the central region of the country.
The group is known for its extremist ideology and has been responsible for numerous terrorist attacks in the region.