The Somali army announced today, Monday, the restoration of control of the strategic city of "Har Tiri" overlooking the Indian Ocean from the grip of the youth movement.
"Harr Tiri" is the second city that the army regained from the grip of the Mujahideen Youth Movement within one day, after the city of "Jil'ad", from which the movement withdrew today without confrontations.
Somali Defense Minister Abdul Qadir Mohamed Jama said that the army was able, with the support of clan militants, to recover the city of Harer Tiri, which overlooks the Indian Ocean, after the withdrawal of Al-Shabaab fighters from it.
He added that the army launched sweeping operations inside the city to secure it and ensure that it was free of explosives believed to have been planted by al-Shabab militants before their withdrawal.
The city of Harir Tiri was under the control of Al-Shabaab fighters 10 years ago, and since it overlooks the Indian Ocean, the movement used it as a sea port for it to import weapons and receive foreign fighters.
The city was the largest stronghold of the youth movement in the region for nearly 15 years, and it is the only one that the movement has governed.
By controlling this city, the Somali forces will have reached the eastern edge of the central regions, and will be able to receive direct support and coordination from the state of Puntland in the north-east of the country, and from the strategic city of "Galkayo" in central Somalia.
Earlier, the Somali army retook towns and villages located in the vicinity of the city of Jalad, forcing the militants of the Al-Shabaab movement to withdraw from it after they had controlled it for 7 years, according to security sources.
Since last July, the army, with the support of tribal forces, has launched military operations against the youth movement in the center of the country, and the authorities have announced the restoration of control over several cities in the region and the killing of hundreds of militants of the movement.
New explosion
Meanwhile, local sources reported that an explosion occurred in the Helgen region of Hiran region in central Somalia, and it was reported that 3 people were killed and 5 others were injured in the attack.
Reuters reported that an explosion targeted a checkpoint of Somali forces in the region, and was claimed by the movement linked to al-Qaeda.
In the face of military operations aimed at expelling it from its areas of influence in the center and south of the country, the youth movement has carried out attacks in the past few months on army camps, and attacked hotels in the capital, Mogadishu, killing dozens.
Somalia has been waging war for years against this movement, which was founded in early 2004 and is ideologically affiliated with Al-Qaeda, and has claimed numerous terrorist operations that have claimed hundreds of lives.
Last year, the Al-Shabaab Al-Mujahideen Movement was subjected to US raids, which Washington said resulted in the killing of a number of its leaders and members.