Defense authorities in Somalia claim that despite frequent attacks by al-Shabab, the nation is making progress in creating a reliable security force that is able to both defend state institutions and increase governmental power.
Since August, al-Shabab has been losing territory in central Somalia to federal soldiers assisted by local militants. This military attack is currently being totally organized and carried out by Somali commanders and local soldiers, which is a big and self-confidence-boosting accomplishment.
The operation's focal point, Hiran, has been liberated, according to Army Chief Brigadier Gen. Odawa Yusuf Rage, who spoke to VOA Somali. "We inflicted heavy defeat on terrorists and we have dislodged them from large territory in the regions."
"Eliminating these terrorists from Somalia is the ultimate objective."This week, General Rage and Defense Minister Abdulkadir Mohamed Nur visited Jubbaland to supervise local soldiers that are preparing to participate in the operations. The plan aims to create a new front of defense against al-Shabab in the south.
The majority of the Somali forces engaged in these operations are Turkish and American troops.
Turkey opened its largest foreign military training facility in Somalia on September 30, 2017. Turkey has already trained 5,000 Gorgor commandos (the eagle). Turkey also trained 316 officers and 392 non-commissioned officers to bolster the command and leadership.
The training sessions go on, and Mogadishu's army recruitment offices draw in recent college graduates.
According to a Turkish statement supplied to VOA, "The battalions trained and equipped by Turkey have been successful in recapturing huge numbers of al-Shabaab-controlled villages, protecting their bases, and neutralizing terrorists." The Somali National Army's future will be built around these battalions. We are confident that the individuals trained by the Turkish Armed Forces will contribute to the security of not only Somalia but also of Africa and beyond.
The other significant group participating in continuing operations is the elite Somali force known as Danab (lightning), which is trained by the US. The size of the Danab force is getting closer to 2,000, and that number now includes 350 new recruits who have only recently begun training at an airstrip west of Mogadishu.
Somali defense officials said current operations will be boosted upon the return of 5,000 more soldiers trained in Eritrea, although no date has yet been set.The government said it also is pursuing other initiatives to train more forces abroad.
Turkey drones
Somali security officials have acknowledged that Turkish drones are participating in the operations against al-Shabab, by conducting bombings and monitoring the militants.
Two security officials who requested not to be identified because of the sensitivity of the project told VOA Somali that Turkish drones were involved in airstrikes in Lower and Middle Shabelle regions in recent weeks.
The Minister of Interior, Federal, and Reconciliation, Ahmed Moallim Fiqi, revealed the existence of Turkish drones in September while he was speaking to a local television station.
Defense officials in Somalia, however, decline to confirm or refute it.
Defense Minister Abdulkadir Mohamed Nur told VOA Somali, "We don't discuss specific operations by any one country.
General Rage treated Turkish drone operations with the same dismissiveness.
I don't want to talk to you about that, he said. "Whether it exists or not, I will respond another time, but as of right now, I don't know anything about it."
Contrary to the U.S. military, which has long disclosed airstrikes against al-Shabab, including some that occurred during recent operations,
Regarding its covert drone activities, Turkey is silent.
According to a statement from the Turkish Defense Ministry, Turkey backs all efforts being made on a multilateral scale to strengthen the Somali National Army. Even though the VOA inquiry was primarily focused on the drone issue, the word "drone" was not used once in that statement.
When troops encountered fierce resistance from the militants, according to Somali officials, Turkish drones were successful in bombing al-Shabab.
Following the operations of Turkish drones, former Mogadishu intelligence chief Major Ibrahim Moallim Abdullahi claimed that recent troop advancements would not have been possible without the drones.
Turkish drones, according to him, "are playing a significant role in the ongoing operations."
Drones from Turkey entered the nation, according to Abdullahi, last year.
However, until this year, when operations began, their activities were limited to surveillance.
What is the plan?
Despite the government's success on the front lines, some security experts question whether it has a "clear strategy" to defeat al-Shabab. Al-Shabab fighters attacked a popular hotel near the Presidential Palace this week, killing nine people. The group detonated two large bombs at a busy intersection in October, killing 121 people and injuring over 330 others.
According to critics, the government only joined the fight after local mobilizations against al-Shabab developed in the Hiran region. Furthermore, troops vacated the town of Wabho in Galmudug State after briefly capturing it.
"If you start a war, you need a clear strategy with a beginning and an end point," Abdullahi said. "What you need in liberated areas is police, intelligence, and service providers ready to go."
Defense Minister Nur rejects the notion that the government approached this without a plan.
"It was a government plan that started it, and there is no fighting that the government did not plan or lead," he said. "There's nothing spontaneous about it."
Source: VOA
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