At least 26 al-Shabab fighters have been killed in a security operation conducted on Monday by Somali National Army (SNA) in Middle Shabelle region.
Major Adan Jeele Ali, a military who spoke to the state-owned media said the forces engaged al-Shabaab fighters in an area between El Ba’ad and Ruunirgood towns.
According to Ali, the forces destroyed al-Shabaab training base and other positions manned by the group.
The development comes days after Somali government claimed to have dozens of al-Shabaab fighters following days long fighting with Somali forces in central Somalia.
Somali military said its forces in cooperation with local clan militias launched an operation to hunt down al-Shabaab in an area in the southern Mudug region.
The fighters were killed in the fighting which took place in Qaycad town. The forces boasted that they recovered weapons and other military assortments.
Mid-last year, the Somali government backed by local clan militias launched operations against al-Shabaab fighters in south-central Somalia.
The allied forces liberated dozens of villages and towns in Hiiraan, Galgadud, Mudug and Middle Shabelle region.
The government also claimed to have killed more than 2,000 al-Shabaab fighters since the operations commenced last year.
