Somalia on 2nd June said it conducted coordinated operations, killing 28 Al Shabab terrorists in the country’s Hiran and Middle Shabelle regions with the support of international partners.

There were five terrorists killed in air operations, including a high-ranking terrorist, Abdirahman Abdi Mudallib, from the Hiran region.

According to the Somali National Intelligence and Security Agency, Mudallib was directly involved in organising and planning terrorist attacks in Buulo-burde and Jalalaqsi districts in the region.

The agency said that it was carried out following intelligence information received that a group of nearly 70 militants had converged about 3 kilometres (1.9 miles) south of the town of Masaajid Cali Gaduud, carrying out activities aimed at disrupting security in the Middle Shabelle region, using a range of weapons.

“After confirmation, (agency) forces and their allies conducted a specific operation which has resulted in the killing of 23 militants”, the agency said in a statement.

The operations were part of an effort to continue to kill the “khawaarij” and provide the people of Somalia with security and stability, it added. The Somali government uses the term Khawaarij to refer to the terrorist group Al Shabab, which is affiliated to Al Qaeda.

Al Shabab has been waging an insurgency against the Somali government for over 16 years, regularly attacking security forces, officials and civilians.

The Somali army, backed by the African Union Support and Stabilisation Mission in Somalia (AUSSOM) and other international forces, intensified its attacks on the group since last July, as part of its efforts to support the Somali government.

The UN Security Council extended the mandate of AUSSOM last December for another year, including authorisation for a UK-backed operation until Dec. 31.