Senior Al-Shabaab official killed by Somali forces in South central Somalia

Senior Al-Shabaab commander was killed on Tuesday in fighting between Somali forces supported by AU troops and Al-Shabaab fighters in the south-central Bay region.

The fighting took place outside Qansah-Dheere town after Somali forces raided the group’s training camp.

Southwest State minister for militia rehabilitation, Hussein Hassan Mohamed, told reporters that a senior Al-Shabaab official was among those killed in the operation.

“They (Al-Shabaab) attempted to make resistance, but we overpowered them and killed eight of the terrorists including a senior official whose name is Hassan Ganey,” Hassan said, adding the joint forces suffered no casualties.

Forces of the Bay government and surrounding regions have recently stepped up military operations to open roads blocked by Al-Shabaab.

Al-Shabaab fighters who were driven from the capital in 2011 want to overthrow the internationally recognized government led by president Hassan Sheikh.

The group launches attacks on military bases, hotels, government offices and carry out ambushes against convoys of African Union troops supporting the federal government.

On Sunday, over 23 people died and more than eighty people injured after two suicide bombings hit local government offices near busy Dayaha market in Galkayo town 720KM north of Somalia’s capital city, Mogadishu.