Defense ministers and military officials from Somalia, Kenya, Ethiopia and Djibouti started a high-level meeting in the Somali capital, Mogadishu.
And the Somali news agency quoted that the security and military talks will discuss the intensification of military operations against the youth movement.
Yesterday, Monday, state television announced that Somali Defense Minister Abdelkader Mohamed Nour discussed with his Djiboutian counterpart Hassan Omar Mohamed ways to enhance cooperation between the two countries in "governmental efforts to liberate the country from terrorism."
This came during a meeting in Mogadishu, on the sidelines of a visit by the Djiboutian Defense Minister to the country.
For his part, Djiboutian Defense Minister said that his country is "determined to stand by Somalia and support government efforts to eliminate terrorists."
Two days ago, the Somali authorities announced the killing of 136 members of the Al-Shabaab movement, including 3 field commanders, in a military operation in the Lower Shabelle region (south of the country).
Since the middle of last year 2022 - in cooperation with armed clans - government forces have continued military operations against Al-Shabaab, and announced the killing of hundreds of the movement's members and the restoration of control over several strategic areas.
Since 2007, the youth movement has been fighting the federal government supported by the international community, and after its fighters were expelled from the country's main cities between 2011 and 2012, it was concentrated in vast rural areas.