Somali army kills six militants in central region

 

At least six al-Shabab militants were killed on Tuesday in an operation in Mahas, a town in the central Somali region of Hiran, an official confirmed on Wednesday.

The operation came after the forces received intelligence that al-Shabab fighters were sneaking into the town forcing the residents to pay compulsory Zakawat (tax), said Moumin Mohamed Halane, the governor of Mahas town.

Government forces advanced to rid the town of the militants, he said, adding “al-Shabab attempted to resist the army, but we overpowered them, killing six of them,” Halane told state-run of Radio Mogadishu.

The latest incident came amid sustained operations by the Somali army against al-Shabab in the central and southern regions, where the militants were still in control of the rural areas, conducting ambushes and carrying out roadside attacks.