At least 44 al-Shabaab terrorists were killed in a security operation in Somalia's Lower Shabelle region, the country's Information Ministry said on Saturday.
The operation was conducted on Friday by the national intelligence and security agency backed by Somalia's international partners on the outskirts of Kurtowarey, a small town located 208 kilometers (229 miles) southwest of the nation's capital Mogadishu.
According to Somalia's Deputy Information Minister Abdirahman Yusuf Adala, senior al-Shabaab commanders were among the terrorists killed in the operation.
Somalia's security forces have been conducting operations against the al-Shabaab since Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud declared an "all-out war" against the terror group last year.
The group has been fighting against the Somali government and the African Union mission since 2007.
Somalia has been plagued by insecurity for years, with the terror groups al-Shabaab and Daesh being the main threats.
