Somalia

MOGADISHU, Sept. 2 (Xinhua) -- The Somali National Army and international partners on Saturday killed 20 al-Shabab militants during an operation in the lower Shabelle region of southern Somalia, an official said.

Abdirahman Yusuf Al-Adala, deputy minister of information, culture and tourism, said that the joint forces hit the militants in their hideout during the dawn operation.

A military offensive against the militants has been intensified in central Somalia, Al-Adala added.

MOGADISHU, Aug 22 (NNN-DAILYNEWS) — Somalia has announced a ban on social media platforms Tiktok and Telegram and the online betting platform 1XBet.

The government says these platforms are being used by “terrorists and groups responsible for spreading immorality… to spread graphic clips, photos and mislead society”.

It comes as Somalia announces an ambitious target to crush the al-Shabaab militant group, which still controls large swathes of the country, within the next five months.

MOGADISHU, July 22 (Xinhua) -- The education journey for Najma Abdullahi Qarey, a 24-year-old Somali woman, is intriguing and inspiring at the same time.

Abdullahi got married at a younger age by her parents who live in a community that believes that the only way to safeguard the dignity of their daughters is to marry them off while young.

However, Abdullahi refused to allow marriage to become an obstacle to her passion for education and overcame many hurdles that have denied education to the majority of her peers.

MOGADISHU, July 14 (Xinhua) -- The World Health Organization (WHO) has condemned the latest attack on a health facility in a disputed city in Somalia's Somaliland region, where dozens of people were killed and injured, including healthcare workers and patients.

The WHO said that Tuesday's fighting in Las Anod also resulted in the destruction of two ambulances.

MOGADISHU, June 28 (Xinhua) -- African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS) said on Wednesday that its troops have handed over two more military bases, bringing to four the number of bases that have so far been taken over by the Somali security forces.

ATMIS said the bases handed over on Tuesday include Adale in Hirshabelle State which was occupied by the Burundi National Defence Forces (BNDF) and Albao in Southwest State, which was under the responsibility of the Uganda People's Defense Forces (UPDF).

MOGADISHU, June 24 (Xinhua) -- The African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS) said it has wrapped up a two-week training of 55 Somali traffic police officers to enhance their capacity to manage traffic flow and ensure safety on public roads.

ATMIS said the intensive training of the trainer course which ended on Friday was held simultaneously in the Somali capital Mogadishu, Jowhar in Hirshabelle State, Baidoa in Southwest State and Kismayo in Jubaland State.

MOGADISHU, June 11 (Xinhua) -- The African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS) and the United Nations have condemned the hotel terrorist attack that occurred in the capital, Mogadishu on Friday in which nine people were killed and ten others wounded.

In separate statements, the AU mission and UN in Somalia said terrorist attacks including the latest on Pearl Beach Hotel in Mogadishu by al-Shabab extremist group will not dissuade efforts to stabilize Somalia.

MOGADISHU, Somalia (AP) — Police in Somalia say nine people, including three soldiers, were killed in Friday night’s extremist attack on a beachside hotel in the capital, Mogadishu.

The police statement said 10 other people were wounded while 84 people were rescued from the hourslong assault that ended early Saturday morning.

Al-Qaida’s East Africa affiliate, al-Shabab, claimed responsibility for the attack. The Somalia-based extremist group is known for carrying out attacks on hotels and other high-profile locations in Mogadishu, usually starting with a suicide bombing.

MOGADISHU, May 27 (Xinhua) -- The European Union (EU) has condemned Friday's terrorist attack by al-Shabab terrorists against a military base manned by the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS) in southern Somalia.

The EU said the latest attack against soldiers conducting peace support operations in Somalia only reinforces its commitment to stand with the region and to hold to account those responsible for these continuously heinous assaults against Somali citizens and those seeking to stabilize the situation in the country.

MOGADISHU, Somalia (AP) — Floods caused by the annual rains have left “a trail of destruction” across Somalia, a United Nations spokesman said, citing inundated homes and farmland as well as the shutdown of health facilities.

“According to early estimates by our partners, more than 460,000 people have been impacted, including nearly 219,000 men, women and children who have been displaced due to this (flooding),” Stephane Dujarric said in a statement.