MOGADISHU, Jan. 16 (Xinhua) -- Somali National Army (SNA) forces on Monday captured a strategic town of Harardhere in the Mudug region of north-central Somalia which had been under al-Shabab control for more than ten years, a government official confirmed.
Somali Defense Minister Abdulkadir Mohamed Nur said Harardhere was the last district to be liberated from al-Shabab in the Mudug region.
"It's a big victory for us. I would like to congratulate the Somali people that our national army forces in partnership with the locals have won and seized Harardhere from the hands of al-Shabab," he said.
Mohamed said the extremist group has been harassing the lives and wealth of the Somali people for many years and called on the public to double efforts to liberate the remaining areas under the control of al-Shabab.
There was no immediate comment from al-Shabab but the latest onslaught comes as government forces are making military progress, and have liberated many areas in central Somalia in the recent past. ■