OSINT SUMMARY
Tuesday 26th October 2015, Somalia National Army yet recorded another gain against Al Shabaab militants near Diinsoor town of Bay locality in southern Somalia.
According to a military source, 15 militants were killed and their small weapons recovered during the Tuesday raid.
Diinsoor town and broader Bay region in southern Somalia still harbors some elements of Al Shabaab militants who sporadically conduct guerrilla kind of attacks against government and allied African Union troops.
Local residents have been complaining of harassment from the militants who have been forcibly extorting money from them.
Confirming the incident, Diinsoor district commissioner Ibrahim Mohamed Nur briefed the local media that Government troops raided an Al Shabaab stronghold some located 45 kilometers away from Diinsoor town and killing 15 Mujahideen fighters.
Nearly 30 Al Shabaab militants were collecting Zakah (an Islamic levy on wealth) as usual when they came under fire from the Government forces prompting a fierce exchange of gunfight that lead to combatants being killed.
The Al Qaeda branch in Somalia has suffered a series of blows from Government and allied AMISOM troops. The intensified offensives have dented the militant’s capabilities and strangled their economic lifelines leaving the militants with no other option apart from collecting levies from locals to sustain their operations.
kudos SNA….