Somali National Army (SNA) troops killed Al-Shabaab militants in Hiiraan.
The government forces killed the militants when carrying out a sting operation in the Hiiraan region on Tuesday, July 12.
Their operation was mostly around Mahas district.
Major Hassan Bakaay, the Commander of the 27th Division of the SNA, confirmed that the government is in control of Al-Shabaab strongholds in the region once again.
The outskirts of Mahas district have been under militant control for quite some time.
Maj. Bakaay confirmed that government forces killed 12 militants.
Moreover, the soldiers successfully destroyed several terrorist bases in the region.
In recent days and weeks, the government has increased the deployment of its forces to the region to flush out the terrorists.