A joint military exercise by Somali National Army (SNA), African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM), and United States Africa Command (AFRICOM) forces liberated several villages in southern Somalia.
The joint operation took place on December 4 in Lower Shabelle region.
It occurred almost a week after a suicide bomber blew himself up and killed eight people in Mogadishu at the famous Gelato Divino restaurant, which is a short distance away from the airport.
Hassan Adan Iraqi, a military commander stationed in the region, confirmed the operation to the press during an interview with a military-run radio station.
Iraqi confirmed that several Al-Shabaab fighters were killed in the military operation, which led to the liberation of Urur Anjel, Darkeen, and Guba-Kibir. These regions have been under the control of extremists for a long time.
According to Iraqi, the military operation is scheduled to continue until the extremists are completely wiped from the area.
Al-Shabaab retains a massive presence in central and southern parts of the country despite the best efforts by the government to regain control of all areas in the East African nation and restore the rule of law.
