MOGADISHU (Somaliguardian) – Somalia’s National Security Advisor Hussein Sheikh Ali on Tuesday said claims by US defense officials that the militant group Al-Shabaab reversed gains made by the Somali army during a two-year offensive were groundless.
“Rubbish… Facts: 90% of liberated territories are still firmly under government control. aS extortion mechanisms have been seriously weakened,” Sheikh said in a post on X.
“More importantly, the Somali people are fighting them in every corner of the country.”
US defense officials, who spoke to VOA on condition of anonymity, said that in the last 6 months the militant group Al-Shabaab reversed all gains made by the Somali army during a two-year offensive in the central regions of the country.
The Al-Qaeda affiliate, whose strength grew to more than 13,000 fighters, is also eying cooperation with Yemen’s Houthi, who have sent three engineers to make bombs and drones for Al-Shabaab, the officials added.
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