At least 150 militants were killed in airstrikes over the past 48 hours in southern Somalia.
Defense Minister Abdulkadir Mohamed Nur confirmed that the strikes targeted Al-Shabaab hideouts.
He urged the public to avoid areas controlled by Al-Shabaab due to ongoing aerial operations.
“The airstrikes killed 150 fighters. Civilians are urged to avoid areas with enemy presence as they are being targeted,” he said.
This comes a day after Al-Shabaab killed 20 people in an attack on a hotel in Baladweyne, Hiran region.
On Tuesday, the group seized the Cairo hotel after explosions, followed by attackers fighting their way inside.
The hotel was hosting a meeting to mobilize Ma’awisley fighters against Al-Shabaab.
Since mid-last month, Al-Shabaab has intensified attacks in the Middle Shabelle and Hiran regions to regain lost ground.
Driven out of Mogadishu in 2011, the al Qaeda-linked group continues to carry out deadly attacks.
For over a decade, the militant group has been battling to impose a hardline interpretation of Sharia law in Somalia.
Al-Shabaab still controls large swaths of southern and central Somalia.
