At least 9 Al-Shabaab members were killed on Sunday during an operation by Somali troops in the Middle Shabelle region, a senior army commander said.

Mohamed Ahmed Taredishe, who is an SNA officer leading the operation said they inflicted heavy losses upon Al-Shabaab fighters who fled their bases after being overpowered.

The SNA forces seized control of El-Ba'ad which straddles the border between Galgadud and the Middle Shabelle region, where most of the clashes were taking place since 2022.

The government and allied clan militias have forced the militants from swathes of territory in central Somalia since launching a major offensive last August.

The group has responded to the military pressure with a series of high-profile attacks in the capital Mogadishu and other cities, including car bombs this month that killed at least 35 people.

The government forces backed by local clan militia in Galmudug State took the port town of Harardhere and the nearby town of Galcad without facing much resistance from Al-Shabaab.

Harardhere was one of their most significant victories since launching an offensive against the group last year.

The security experts said the government of Somalia led by Hassan Sheikh Mohamud should replicate its cooperation with clan-based militias across the country.