Somali National Army (SNA) troops have recaptured villages in the Bay Region that had been under the control of Al-Shabaab.
The recaptured villages were identified as Bandhub and Bilane, which are near Dinsoor District in Southwest State.
Security officials say the SNA operation was aimed at flashing out Al-Shabaab militants. Local residents had reported the presence of the militia in the region.
Further, residents accused Al-Shabaab fighters in these regions of taking money forcefully from them and killing many innocent civilians.
The region has also witnessed plenty of airstrikes from the United States military in the country to weed out Al-Shabaab extremists.
The Al-Qaeda linked group retains a substantial presence in the region. Additionally, it has stepped up attacks against SNA and AU troops in Mogadishu and other parts of the country.