Experts say local militia forces playing key role in counter-terrorism efforts against al Qaeda-affiliated insurgents
MOGADISHU, Somalia
Backed by locals, elite Somali forces killed more than 100 members of the al Qaeda-affiliated terror group al-Shabaab, the country’s Defense Ministry said on Friday.
Ministry spokesman Abdullahi Ali Anod told reporters that two units of the elite Danab, or lightning brigade, troops with the support of, local militia forces known as “Macwisley,” engaged al-Shabaab in an operation since early Thursday.
The operation, which involved airstrikes, took place near the town of Adanyabal in the Horn of Africa country’s Middle Shabelle region.
Anad said a large number of al-Shabaab insurgents tried to defend the town but lost over 100 members on a single front.
The military has been conducting operations against the terror group since President Hassan Sheikh Mahamud declared an “all-out war” against it earlier this week after a devastating twin car bombing that killed over 100 people in the capital Mogadishu.
Al-Shabaab claimed responsibility for the deadly attack, which also wounded 320 others.
Experts believe the local forces that have been fighting alongside the country’s army are playing “significant” role against al-Shabaab.
Ali Kulow, a former police officer now serving as a security analyst in Mogadishu, told Anadolu Agency that local militia forces helped the government reclaim strategic towns in its recent offensives in parts of the country.
“This militia, that has proven itself a fighting force, is seen by many in the country as a revolutionary force capable of defeating al-Shabaab if they receive logistical support and strategic military planning,” said Kulow.
He underlined that the militia knew the countryside better than anybody and had the support of the local population in terms of gathering intelligence on al-Shabaab in the area.
“The government should use the anger and dedication towards al-Shabaab because these people witness the real brutality and money extortion of al-Shabaab. So, I can see a real opportunity here and the government should organize and use them and then integrate them into the national army,” he added.
Somalia has been grappling with security threats for years, with al-Shabaab being one of its main concerns.
Since 2007, the terror group has fought the Somali government and international forces in a deadly campaign that has claimed thousands of lives.
The UN has warned of growing instability in the country, with its periodic reports on Somalia this year detailing attacks by al-Shabaab and groups aligned with the Daesh/ISIS terrorist organization.
At least 1,242 civilians were killed in terrorist attacks in Somalia in 2018-2019, while 1,735 were injured, according to UN figures.
