DHUSAMAREEB (SD) – Somali national Army (SNA) and Galmudug state forces will launched operation to liberate al-Shabaab control towns in central Somalia, Galmudug information minister confirmed.

In an interview with Somali BBC Service, the regional information minister, Ahmed Shire Falagle dismissed claims that al-Shabaab fighters recaptured Amara and Ba’adweyne in Mudug region, saying the regional forces and the national army were still in control of the towns.

“In the coming hours, we will share with the public the location of the troops and our ongoing operations. “We can assure you that the enemy has captured not a single well,” he said.

The remarks of the minister come hours after al-Shabaab affiliate media claimed that Somali forces vacated the towns, prompting al-Shabaab to deploy its fighters in the towns.

Last Tuesday, Somali security forces recaptured the town of Amaara after al-Shabaab militants briefly took over early in the morning following a dawn attack. 

The attack on Amaara and a subsequent roadside explosion in the same vicinity killed at least six people, including four Somali soldiers.

Hours later, US military conducted airstrike against al-Shabaab fighters who briefly seized Amara town following fierce fighting with Somali military.

“In coordination with the Federal Government of Somalia, U.S. Africa Command conducted a collective self-defense strike against al-Shabaab fighters engaged in active combat with our Somali partners in the vicinity of Amara, Somalia, on Aug. 24,” US statement confirmed.

The statement added that no civilians were killed or injured based on its initial assessment.

Somali authorities claimed that the airstrike killed more than 90 al-Shabaab fighters.