Beledweyne — Senior officials from the Ethiopian military led by General Tesfaye and General Haji arrived in Beledweyne, the capital of Hiraan region, on Saturday.

The main visit of the officials is focused on how the Ethiopian army will participate in the planned second phase operation against Al-Shabaab in Hiran region.

The governor of the Shabelle region of the Somali regional state, Adan Ahmed Sooyan and other officials are part of the delegation having meetings with Hiiraan authorities.

Ethiopian troops not under ATMIS are expected to arrive in Hiran region soon to join in the pending offensive, which will end at the border areas, according to the officials.

Last year, Al-Shabaab militants entered Ethiopia at several sites from the border regions of Hiran and Bakool, and engaged in a heavy battle with Somali region's Liyu police.

Following cross-border raids, the president of Ethiopia's Somali region Mustafe Cagjar announced that ENDF will establish a buffer zone inside Somalia to prevent further attacks.