Somali army arrests six militants in southern region

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Somalia’s army soldiers and peacekeepers from AMISOM enter the town of Barawe during the second phase of Operation Indian Ocean. (Getty Images)

Somali National Army (SNA) on Thursday arrested six al-Shabab militants in an offensive in Lower Shabelle, Somalia’s southern region, a military officer confirmed.

The army conducted the operation in villages in the region including Busley, Warta Mursal and Harbiga, and captured a number of militants, said Ali Abdullahi Halac, commander of SNA’s 64th Unit division.

“During the operation, we apprehended six al-Shabab militants with their weapons and we destroyed bases used by the militants in the region,” Halac told journalists.

He added the army will maintain the operations against al-Shabab cells in the region.

The latest incident came amid sustained operations by government forces against al-Shabab in southern regions where the militants are still holding swathes of rural areas, conducting ambushes, and planting landmines.