Al Shabaab leaders are evacuating their wives and children from Jamaame District in Lower Juba Region, where they are under attack by the National Army and Jubbaland forces.
The forces are fighting Al Shabaab militants in areas surrounding the district, with the military previously stating their goal is to remove the terrorist groups from Jamaame.Following intense airstrikes a few days ago in areas near Jamaame, mortar attacks inside the town have increased.
The rise in mortar fire hitting the city indicates that the troops are close or are very near to Jamaame.In recent hours, there has been a displacement of local people fleeing the increased conflict in the city.Al Shabaab leaders are moving their wives and children away from the fighting, taking them to places they consider safer.
Reports say some family members of the Al Shabaab leaders have arrived in the Kuunya Barrow area of Lower Shabelle Region.The reports also add that the leaders fear sending their families to Jilib District in Middle Juba Region and have instead preferred Kuunya Barrow for security reasons because it is farther from the conflict.It seems Al Shabaab realize that if they lose control of Jamaame, their next target will be Jilib, where they have their largest bases in the country.
This means the biggest fear has hit Al Shabaab militants since they controlled Jamaame starting in 2008.During the 17 years Al Shabaab governed Jamaame, it was never successfully taken from them.Today, the allied forces are closest than ever to liberating Jamaame, if they persist to achieve their objective.
