MOGADISHU – Somali military says its forces have seized new bases held by Al Qaeda linked Al Shabaab, after an operation in south of Mogadishu.
The operation was conducted on Tuesday in Sabib and Anole areas near Afgoye town, some 30km south of Somali capital Mogadishu, according to military commander Abdirahman Sheikh Omar.
Sheikh Omar says its forces had taken control of two key areas previously held by Al Shabaab.
“We have successfully re-captured major bases manned by Al Shabaab after hours of military offensive “, he said.
He says the soldiers stumbled upon a tanker truck filled with explosives.
He also indicated that it was one of the largest bombs ever made by Al Shabaab.
Mogadishu was the likely target of seized explosive bomb.
Al-Shabab, which is al-Qaida’s East Africa affiliate, has been waging insurgency for more than years in Somalia.
The group was ousted out of Mogadishu in 2011. The group also wants to impose a strict version of Islam in the Horn of Africa nation.
The al Qaeda linked group lost territory in recent years to Somali army forces and African Union forces, after joint military operations.
