Mogadishu: The Somali military announced on Monday the killing of a group affiliated with the Al Qaeda-linked Al Shabaab movement during a security operation in the southern part of the country.

According to Qatar News Agency, the military stated in a release that the Danab forces of the Somali National Army, in cooperation with international partners, carried out a planned security operation in an area on the outskirts of the town of Harbole, which falls under the Afmadow District in the Lower Juba region.

The operation resulted in the elimination of a group of movement operatives who had been active in preparing and planting landmines and explosives on roads used by civilian vehicles, with the aim of threatening public safety and disrupting freedom of movement.

The statement noted that this operation comes within the framework of ongoing security efforts to curb the group's influence, enhance security and stability, and ensure freedom of movement in areas affected by its activities.

Two days prior, the Somali Ministry of Defense announced the killing of 14 Al Shabaab members in a military operation in the Buulo Fulaay area of the Bay region in southern Somalia.