Somalia has said its troops killed 200 al-Shabaab militants in a week during joint operations with US forces.
The air and ground operations were conducted across different regions, the defense ministry said.
Senior leaders of the militant group were killed in an operation carried out in El-Qorac area on Wednesday, it added.
"Today marks a significant step forward in our fight against insurgency. In a decisive operation in Middle Shabelle and Galgaduud…(seven) top-ranking leaders were neutralized," the ministry said in a statement.
'Stronger than ever'
"Our commitment to securing our nation and protecting our citizens is stronger than ever. We stand together for a peaceful Somalia," it added.
The latest operation occurred a day after Somalia's President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud visited Jowhar, the administrative capital of the south-central state of Hirshabelle, which has been an epicenter of the terrorist group's subversive activities.
Mohamud, who was elected for a second term last year, declared an "all-out war" on al-Shabaab, resulting in the terrorists losing large swaths of territory in central regions, including the coastal town of Harardhere, which had been under the militants' control for more than a decade.
Main threats
Somalia has been plagued by insecurity for years, with the main threats emanating from al-Shabaab and the Daesh (also referred to as IS ) terror groups.
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 United Nations Security Council.
