Somali National Army (SNA) on Wednesday confirmed the killing of al-Shabab fighters in a security operation in Mara Adde neighborhood in the southern region of Lower Shabelle.
Mohamed Tahlil Bihi, commander of Somali infantry division made the announcement, saying the operation came after the locals protested from excessive enforced taxes ordered by the militants.
“Our forces conducted an operation targeting the hideouts of those militants and we killed six of them during an intense clash between the army and the militants.’’
He added that the army also captured three al-Shabab fighters alive and destroyed bases used by the militants.
Southern and central regions of Somalia had seen clashes between government forces and al-Shabab extremists after the militants were chased out of the capital Mogadishu in August 2011 by Somali army and African Union forces.
