Somali army says 70 Al-Shabaab militants killed

The Somali National Army (SNA) said its special forces unit killed 70 Al-Shabaab militants and injured several others on Thursday near Jowhar, a town in the Middle Shabelle region.

Army spokesman Ali Hashi told SNA Radio Mogadishu that the troops also liberated several areas during an operation that is still ongoing.

“We killed 70 Al-Shabaab militants, including two senior commanders for guerrilla attacks, and injured several others in the ongoing operation against the terrorists near Jowhar town,” he said.

Hashi did not say whether there were casualties on the side of the Somali army, but unverified reports said some senior commanders could have succumbed or sustained serious injuries in fierce fighting.

The operation against Al-Shabaab militants took place as Somali Prime Minister Mohamed Hussein Roble was paying a one-day visit to Jowhar town to assess the humanitarian situation there.

By Xinhua