MOGADISHU, Somalia 

The Somali Defense Ministry on Thursday claimed to have killed nine al-Shabaab terrorists in the southern Somali region of Bay.

“The Somali National Army successfully raided an al-Shabaab base in Taflow village,” a ministry statement said, adding that the operation “dismantled” the base, “neutralizing 9 terrorists and capturing a cache of weapons and boxes of ammunition.”


Somalia has been plagued by insecurity for years, with the main threats emanating from al-Shabaab and the Daesh/ISIS terror groups.


Since 2007, al-Shabaab has been fighting the Somali government and the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS) – a multidimensional mission authorized by the African Union and mandated by the UN Security Council.


The terror group has stepped up attacks since Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud declared an "all-out war" on the group.