Mogadishu — Somalia's elite Danab special forces killed 14 Al-Shabaab fighters during a targeted operation in the southern Lower Shabelle region, the government said on Monday.

The operation took place in the district of Kuntuwaarey and targeted a location where senior Al-Shabaab operatives and militants were believed to be gathered, according to a statement issued by the Ministry of Defence.

During the raid, Danab commandos killed 14 members of the Islamist militant group and destroyed a cache of weapons, explosive materials and other equipment allegedly used by Al-Shabaab to plan and carry out attacks against Somali civilians, the ministry said.

The government did not disclose whether Somali security forces suffered any casualties during the operation.

The latest raid forms part of ongoing military efforts by the Somali National Army and allied forces to weaken Al-Shabaab, an Al-Qaeda-linked insurgent group that has been waging a deadly insurgency against the Somali government for more than a decade.

Despite sustained offensives in central and southern Somalia, Al-Shabaab continues to launch bombings and armed attacks targeting security forces, government institutions and civilians.