MOGADISHU: The President of Somalia has vowed to eliminate Al-Shabab terrorist group, an Al Qaeda affiliate in the next five months, reported Western media on Friday.
Hassan Sheikh Mohamud said a military operation against Al-Shabab is underway and soon the group will be eradicated.
Mohamud said the second phase of the military campaign terrorists would be launched from the central town of Dhusamareb in the coming days. He said thousands of troops are gathering in the town before deployment to the frontlines.
Somalian President Determined to Eliminate Al-Shabab in Months
So far Somalian army has significant territorial gains against the militants since the mid-2010s, but Al-Shabab has been carrying out deadly attacks on military and civilian targets.
The second phase of the military action would be launched in southern Somalia, the stronghold of Al-Shabab. The group is continuing a brutal insurgency against the government since 2006.
Security analysts are not sure about the government’s vows to eliminate the group, saying it has deep roots in communities across the country, while government forces have limited experience and capacity.
The militants have gone to rural areas during the first phase of the operation but caused heavy losses against their enemies.
They killed at least 54 Ugandan peacekeepers in May, and at least 30 Somali military personnel in July in a suicide attack on a military academy in the capital Mogadishu.
