The United States-backed Special Forces have taken over a strategic base from the Al-Qaeda linked Al-Shabaab in Southern Somalia. A surprise dawn attack was launched by American Special Forces along with the "Danab", Somalia's Special Forces unit, triggering a lengthy gun battle. The operation resulted in taking back key villages, including Bulo-Konto, Dangiga Balow, Basro and Garadweyne in the Middle Shebelle region, southern Somalia. Abdifitah Hajji, a local security official confirmed that the US-backed Special Forces are in "full control" of the villages. "The liberated areas were used to train young recruits by Al-Shabaab to join the Al-Qaeda-affiliated terrorist group", Hajji continued. No figures were given on civilian casualties involved in the operation. This comes a couple of days after the Al-Shabaab group executed a suicide bomb attack killing at least three Somali National Army soldiers in Afgoye district, some 30 kilometres north west of the capital Mogadishu. Last year, the US conducted a controversial raid alongside Somalia's Special Forces in Baiire, southern Somalia, which killed ten civilians including three children and women. Somalia has been riddled with domestic fragility and weak governance for over a decade amid an uptick of terrorism across the country. The United Nations last week unanimously passed a resolution to postpone the scheduled withdrawal of African Union troops.

A surprise dawn attack was launched by American Special Forces along with the "Danab”, Somalia’s Special Forces unit, triggering a lengthy gun battle. The operation resulted in taking back key villages, including Bulo-Konto, Dangiga Balow, Basro and Garadweyne in the Middle Shebelle region, southern Somalia.

Abdifitah Hajji, a local security official confirmed that the US-backed Special Forces are in "full control” of the villages. "The liberated areas were used to train young recruits by Al-Shabaab to join the Al-Qaeda-affiliated terrorist group”, Hajji continued.