Tuesday December 5, 2023
Beledweyne (HOL) - The Somali President's special envoy for coordinating local clan fighters known as (Ma'wisley), Ali Jeyte Osman, has urged local forces to ready themselves for a new operation to eliminate al-Shabaab militants from the remaining areas in the Hiiraan region.
Addressing hundreds of local fighters in the Halgan district in the Hiiraan region on Monday, Osman reiterated his commitment to eradicating the terrorist group from the region in the second phase of military operations in central Somalia.
Just two days ago, with international support, the Somali National Army conducted an operation in the village of Hilow Ba'aad in the Hiiraan region, located eight kilometres southwest of Halgan, killing more than 60 al-Shabaab militants.
The frequency of attacks by the terrorist group has escalated since Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, re-elected for a second term last year, declared an "all-out war" on al-Shabaab.