Mogadishu, Somalia - January 02, 2025 The Somali army continues its military operations in the Mahadaay (118 KM north Mogadishu capital city of Somalia)district of the Middle Shabelle region to track down remnants of the al-Shabaab militant group, which is affiliated with al-Qaeda. Units of the Somali National Army conducted patrols along the banks of the Shabelle River to pursue the fleeing Islamist insurgents and arrested several individuals suspected of having links to al-Shabaab fighters. The Middle Shabelle region has witnessed intensified security operations by Somali army patrols aimed at safeguarding villages and towns and preventing al-Shabaab attacks. This follows the group’s expulsion from the region in 2023 as part of the government’s military campaign against the militants, launched by President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud in August 2022.