The Hirahabelle region of Somalia has been plagued by an uptick in Al Shabaab activity as hundreds of Militants reportedly flooded into the region in mass.
The minister of security for the Hirshabelle regional state, Mohamed Abdirahman Khayre revealed an unprecedented influx of militants in recent days had been spotted in the region, while speaking with the press.
The minister went on and claimed a large scale military offensive being spearheaded by the Somali government was underway in the nearby Lower Shabelle province, which has led to a mass exodus of Al Shabaab fighters from the area.
The military offensive and subsequent exodus had forced large droves of militants to escape into the neighboring Middle Shabelle province in the Hirshabelle state, according to the minister.
However these claims could not be independently verified. The Al Aqaeda affiliated armed group Al Shabaab has maintained a strong presence in Hirshabelle for well over a decade.
It’s widely believed the latest comments by the minister are more of damage control and meant to cover up for the instability in the region, which are routinely caused by Al Shabaab, government troops and rogue militias and bandits that operate with impunity in the area.
Halgan Media.
