Al-Shabaab militant leaders face uncertain future

Mogadishu(SONNA)-Al-Shabaab militant leaders faced uncertainty over their future as the group lost more than 200 fighters including senior commanders and lost control of at least 50 key areas under their control before the Government's military operation in the country. Somali National Army with support of local forces, Ma'awisley began operations in Hiiraan and Middle Shabelle regions five months earlier, bringing Al-Shabaab militants to suffer heavy loss in-terms of casualties both fighters and commanders and control of large swathes in the south-central Somalia during the operations. But Group Leaders faced the worst dilemma because of the Public revolt against their presence in Somalia and Government's commitment to eradicate the terrorists by getting support from local forces and International Partners conducting airstrikes operations against Al-Shabaab leaders. "I survived from two airstrike incidents during my stay with Al-Shabaab. We lost 30 members including five foreigners, two of them with Kenyan nationalities, but in another incident at Basra area in middle Shabelle region, I was with five others, but survived two including me only", Mohamed Moallim Hassan, former Al-Shabaab defector said. Two Al-Shabaab senior leaders namely Abdullahi Nadir and Abu Abdirahman were also killed in the on-going military operations. "“The Al-Shabaab terrorist leaders face uncertain fate as hundreds of their militants were killed and suffered a significant loss of territory in the last five months. They are cornered in a dead-end tunnel as Somali National Army and locals continue operations to eliminate terrorists, Omar Abu Ayan, a Security analyst said.