Somalia’s government forces and allied military troops have recaptured a strategic town held by al-Shabaab extremists since last six years, reported The BBC.
The Adan Yabal town, which is located in the Middle Shabelle region, had been used by the jihadist group as a training base and a hub for its operations across central Somalia.
In an interview with The Reuters news agency, Adan Yabal Mayor Mahamud Hasan Mahamud said the army and militias took control of the town without facing any resistance on Monday.
“Adan Yabal was very important for al-Shabab because it is the heart that connects the central regions and the south of Somalia. It was also their main base from which they manage the central regions,” Mahamud said.
Notably, Somalia’s army and local clan militias known as “Macawisley” have regain control of swathes of territory in the central states of Galmudug and Hirshabelle in recent months in an operation backed by US airstrikes and an African Union (AU) force, ATMIS.
After President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud won the election in May, he declared all-out war against al-Shabab. He claims that the effort to clear the group out of Hirshabelle and Galmudug states is in its final stages.
Somalia’s government is also targeting al-Shabab finances. Last month, the government said it had closed 13 bank accounts affiliated with the group.
In related news, on Tuesday, the United Nations humanitarian coordinator for Somalia warned that the country was undergoing a catastrophic emergency due to the most severe drought in the history of the country.
Speaking during a joint meeting of the League of Arab States and the United Nations, Adam Abdelmoula said Somalia was facing a fifth consecutive failed rainy season with a sixth failed season predicted for next year.
He said approximately 7.8 million Somalis, and that is nearly half of its population, have been affected by the drought and nearly 1.3 million people have been displaced since January 2021.
