Somalia: 15 militants killed following hotel attack

Mogadishu: At least 15 militants were killed in a military operation in Somalia's southern regions barely a day after a terrorist attack left more than 20 people dead in the town of Kismayo

A Somali National Army (SNA) forces senior commander said Sunday that an offensive had been conducted against extremists in Wanlaweyn town in the region of Lower Shabelle.

"We killed 15 of them and captured Yaq Buraweyne, Madah Marodi and Idow Jalad villages," SNA commander in charge of the 35th division Mohamed Abdullahi Arale said.

He added that security forces will proceed with the operations until they drive the militants out of the entire Lower Shabelle region.

Residents said they heard the sound of heavy gun fight between the militants and the army.

"A fierce battle broke out in Yaq Buraweyne village between government forces and al-Shabab militants, both sides fought for a while but government troops are now in the town and the militants withdrew from it," Jamal Ga'al , a local resident told Chinese state media by phone.

Somali forces have stepped up operations against extremists in central and southern regions to flush out militants. They follow a deadly terror attack on a hotel in the town of Kismayo that left at least 26 people dead.
On Saturday, the African Union's senior envoy in Somalia vowed to continue with stabilisation efforts in Somalia.
Francisco Madeira, special representative of the Chairperson of the African Union Commission for Somalia, also condemned the attack in Kismayo.

"The attackers are a group of people with a criminal, murderous and destructive agenda. They cannot claim to be fighting to bring good governance to the country," he said in a statement issued in Mogadishu.