The Somali army has reported that they have killed at least 13 members of the radical terrorism al-Shabaab.
Members of the al-Shabaab were killed on Friday, December 4. Their deaths came during fighting with Somali troops within the Hiraan region near to Beledweyne town.
The troops from the Somali army were backed by forces from the African Union (AU) during the battle.
“We killed 13 Al-Shabaab fighters and seven soldiers got injured from our side. We are now in full control of the area,” Mohamed Omar, the Somali Army Commander said of the incident.
Militants from al-Shabaab allegedly tried to ambush the Somali and AU troops which led to the deadly gun battle.
The militant group has been especially active within Somalia in recent months, carrying out several bombings within Mogadishu.
The border between Kenya and Somalia has proved to be a key battleground in the fight against al-Shabaab, with Mandera county being vulnerable to attacks from over the border. The KDF has beefed up security along the border in recent days to combat the militant group.
On Monday, November 30, a security drill intended to simulate an attack by al-Shabaab against Strathmore University ended disastrously, with one person falling to their death and more than 30 others getting injured in a panic.
The al-Shabaab has been a serious threat to Kenya for the last several years, launching a series of high profile attacks within Kenyan territory.
The group gained international notoriety in September of 2013, with several militants from the group storming the Westgate mall in Nairobi, killing at least 67 people. Several children and pregnant women were killed in the attack.
The group is thought to hold a base in the Boni forest region of Kenya, from which they train fighters and carry out attacks in Kenya.
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