MOGADISHU, Somalia —Somali military officials said dozens of al-Shabab fighters were killed in air and ground operations near the port city of Kismayo Tuesday.
The operations took place in Kabsuuma, about 50 kilometers northeast of Kismayo, in the Lower Juba region, officials said during coordinated raids.
Officials said nearly 60 fighters, including senior commanders, were killed.
Somali authorities said the operations are part of an ongoing campaign to weaken al-Shabab and regain territory in southern Somalia from militants.
Separately, U.S. Africa Command said it carried out a Dec. 14 airstrike targeting al-Shabab fighters north of Kismayo with Somali government coordination.
AFRICOM did not disclose casualty figures, saying the U.S. military no longer releases detailed assessments citing operational security concerns during counterterrorism operations.
Al-Shabab has waged an armed campaign against Somalia’s federal government for more than a decade, officials said, and regularly targets civilians.
There was no immediate comment from Al-Shabab regarding the military’s claims.
Despite air and ground operations, the militant group continues to carry out deadly attacks on army bases in south and central Somalia.
For the last five months, the group seized several towns following pre-dawn attacks that began with suicide explosions, followed by gun battles.
Al-Shabab still holds large swaths of rural territory, including the Middle Jubba region, where its top leaders have been based since being driven out of Mogadishu in 2011.