Somali security forces dismantle al-Shabaab courts, checkpoints

By Mohamed Dhaysane

MOGADISHU, Somalia (AA) - The Somali national army dismantled courts and illegal checkpoints set up by al-Qaeda-affiliated terrorist group al-Shabaab during a military operation, an official said on Monday.

The operation was conducted in coordination with police in Balad Amin and surrounding areas in the Lower Shabelle region over the weekend, Muaad Ibrahim, a security officer in the region, told Anadolu over the phone on Monday.

He said the group had set up courts and illegal checkpoints “to extort money from the villagers, farmers as well as travelers and truckers who transport goods to the wider region and Mogadishu.”

He added that the operation against al-Shabaab will continue until the government takes control of the whole area.

Since 2007, al-Shabaab has been fighting the Somali government and the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS) -- a multidimensional mission authorized by the African Union and mandated by the UN Security Council.

The terror group has stepped up attacks since Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud declared an "all-out war" on the group.