MOGADISHU, Jan. 5 (Xinhua) -- Somali security forces have stepped up offensives against al-Shabab militants in both central and southern Somalia, killing more than 60 insurgents over the past week.
The Somali National Army, backed by international partners, has been conducting joint operations in the regions as government forces move to consolidate their foothold.
According to the Ministry of Defense, 15 al-Shabab militants, including three senior leaders, were killed during operations conducted on Dec. 27 in the Bakool region of southwestern Somalia, while two other senior al-Shabab commanders were neutralized the following day in southern Somalia.
"During the operation, the forces thwarted an attempted security threat planned by two al-Shabab militants, who were attempting to plant improvised explosive devices along routes used by civilians and security forces," the ministry said in a statement issued in Mogadishu, the capital of Somalia, on Dec. 30.
It said the operation successfully disrupted a serious plot intended to harm civilians and security personnel, and that troops confiscated explosive materials in the possession of the militants.
Besides, 29 militants were killed in airstrikes conducted on Dec. 31 by Somali forces, in coordination with international partners, in Jabad Godane in southeastern Somalia.
The ministry said the airstrikes, which destroyed al-Shabab vehicles and weapons, significantly degraded the group's operational and logistical capabilities.
According to the ministry, 15 al-Shabab militants were eliminated during a Saturday operation in the Jilib region of southern Somalia, while eight others were captured.
Somali Defense Minister Ahmed Moallim Fiqi recently briefed the public on the counter-terrorism operations, also confirmed that the National Intelligence and Security Agency (NISA) killed a key figure behind the 2017 terrorist bombing in Mogadishu, in which 587 people lost their lives.
NISA said Abdullahi Osman Mohamed, also known as Engineer Ismail, a senior al-Shabab member who masterminded the Mogadishu bombings -- the deadliest terrorist attack in Somalia's history -- was eliminated in a sting operation backed by international security partners in Jilib on Dec. 10.
"Jilib is a strategic hub for al-Shabab. It is where their leaders reside, where recruits are trained, and where explosive techniques are developed and coordinated," Fiqi said.
Ismail was killed along with another al-Shabab leader, Abdikarim Mohamed Hersi, who was also part of the group's media unit and was specifically in charge of the Juba region.
"These individuals were directly responsible for explosives, internal security, and external terrorist operations," Fiqi said, adding that Ismail was the group's chief explosives expert and was being groomed as a successor within the al-Shabab leadership structure.
He said the operations have led to the reopening of the coastal road linking Mogadishu and the port city of Marka, which had long been used by militants to terrorize civilians.
"In the past month, al-Shabab has suffered its heaviest losses in leadership and manpower. No terrorist leader is beyond reach. If their so-called 'Great Engineer' could not escape, no one can," the minister added. ■
