Mogadishu, Somalia — At least 70 al-Shabaab fighters were killed in a joint military operation by Somali government forces and African Union peacekeepers in the Lower Shabelle region, Somalia's Ministry of Defence said on Monday.
The offensive, dubbed Silent Storm, targeted strategic militant positions in the agricultural town of Bariire, about 73 kilometres (45 miles) southwest of the capital, Mogadishu.
"During the operation, al-Shabaab attempted to carry out a suicide attack using two explosive-laden vehicles, but security forces swiftly neutralised both before they could detonate," the ministry said in a statement.
Two soldiers from the Somali National Army (SNA) were killed and 12 others wounded in the fighting, it added.
The operation was conducted in coordination with Ugandan troops from the African Union Support and Stabilization Mission in Somalia (AUSSOM), along with support from international partners, the ministry said, calling it a "successful and well-planned" assault that broke through key al-Shabaab defenses.
The announcement comes just days after AUSSOM reported the killing of more than 50 al-Shabaab militants in the same area during a previous joint operation with Somali forces.
Al-Shabaab, an al-Qaeda-linked group, has been waging a bloody insurgency against the Somali government for more than 16 years, frequently targeting security forces, government officials, and civilians.
