The Somali military has delivered food aid to villagers in Lower Shabelle region, barely three weeks after the government took control of the area. Following spirited operations, the Somali National Army (SNA) forces defeated Al-Shabaab fighters and recaptured Sabiid and Anole villages in the outskirts of Mogadishu this month.
In efforts to boost co-existence and collaboration between the army and local residents, the forces have distributed food in the area ahead the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. The food distribution, on Wednesday evening, comes at a time the Federal Government of Somalia has vowed to step up operations to liberate villages controlled by Al-Shabaab across the country.
The group, which lost control of the capital city in 2011, still enjoys some control of remote villages in southern Somalia. Members of the Al-Shabaab militia group have been carrying out deadly attacks in Somalia’s main towns. On Wednesday, the group targeted a car belonging to the Bari governor, in Bosaso town. According to sources, the governor, Yussuf Mohamed, was not in the car at the time of the attack. The blast killed three of his bodyguards.
