A total of 130 Al Shabab elements were eliminated in recent operations the Somali army conducted in various areas of the country, the army said in a statement on Sunday.

The statement, carried by Somali National News Agency (SONNA), said the 130 gunmen, affiliated with Al Qaeda Movement, were killed in multiple areas in the states of Galmudug, Hirshabelle and Jubaland.

Somali forces, in cooperation with locals, managed to seize weapons and military equipment, and destroyed militant sites, the statement read.

For over a decade now, the Somali forces have been waging battles against the Al Shabab Movement, which has claimed several attacks that killed hundreds of civilians and security personnel, and have recaptured several areas from the movement.