Jubbaland vows to fight Al-Shabaab

Somalia’s southern regional state, Jubaland has vowed to launch a major assault on fewer bastions remaining under the control of Al Shabaab fighters.

Jubaland troops backed by African Union peacekeepers have wrested control of several areas from Al-Shabaab fighters in Lower Jubba region.

President of Jubbaland, Ahmed Mohamed Madobe said that Jubbaland would launch a military offensive aimed at wiping Al-Shabaab out of major districts in Somalia’s lower and Middle Jubba regions.

Madobe pointed out that regional forces backing by AMISOM are preparing to wage deadly offensives on pointed strongholds used by Al-Shabaab fighters.

He said that his regional state was committed to consolidating the war against Al Shabab fighters in Middle Jubba region.

“We were able to eliminate military bases in the region which Al-Shabaab carried out its subversive operations against government in the capital and other regions,” he said.

He said that the troops were deployed in response to a request from the public to assist the administration in restoring peace and stability in the region.

The Jubbaland government is facing security challenges from Al-Shabab despite the group recently had lost key towns in southern Somalia.

Al-Shabab, which is believed to have thousands of fighters in its ranks, controls much of Middle and Lower Jubba in southern Somalia and regularly launches attacks in the capital Mogadishu.

Al-Shabaab has since resorted to tactics that include suicide bombings and assassinations of government officials.