Somalia’s Defence Ministry said on Tuesday ​that its armed forces and regional ‌security forces had killed 27 al Shabaab militants in the semi-autonomous Jubbaland state in an operation with international ​support.

The Defence Ministry statement did not ​name the international partners that provided support ⁠but said its operation was backed by ​air strikes.

The United States military has conducted air strikes ​to help in the fight against al Shabaab, which has waged an insurgency for two decades to try ​to topple the Horn of Africa country’s ​central government and establish its own rule based on its ‌strict ⁠interpretation of sharia law.

The defence ministry said the militants were killed in “a large-scale operation in areas of Lower Jubba and Middle Jubba,” adding ​that weapons ​and landmines ⁠had also been seized.

It said those killed included key members of ​the insurgent group.

An African Union peacekeeping ​mission ⁠has also been trying to help Somalia’s government push back al Shabaab, but the group still ⁠controls ​vast areas of the countryside ​and has the ability to conduct regular attacks on major ​population centres.

–Reuters–