Mogadishu — Somalia's national army said on Sunday its elite Turkey-trained Gorgor commandos carried out a planned operation targeting Al-Shabaab militants in the Jawad Ari area of the Lower Shabelle region.

The operation was conducted by the 203rd Battalion, 20th Brigade, 1st Gorgor Commando Division, the army said in a statement. During the raid, troops seized explosive devices allegedly intended for attacks on civilians, along with other equipment abandoned by the militants as they fled.

Soldiers also uncovered and displayed several hideouts that Al-Shabaab fighters had been using in the area before retreating, according to the military.

The operation was led by the commander of the 203rd Battalion, Sayidnuur Daahir, also known as Afgub, alongside his deputy, Hassan Ahmed Gaabow, known as Hassan Yare.

Lower Shabelle has been the focus of intensified security operations in recent weeks, with the Somali National Army saying it has inflicted significant losses on Al-Shabaab and achieved major gains in its latest offensions against the Islamist group.