US soldiers joined the Somali army, preparing for the second phase of the war against the extremist Somali al-Shabaab Movement.
An official in the Somali government confirmed, on condition of anonymity, to Asharq Al-Awsat that members of the US Special Forces had arrived in the Mahas area, about 300 km from the capital.
The special forces will help supervise the upcoming attack against the strongholds of al-Shabaab.
According to Somali media, US military officials and officers were received by Mahas Governor upon their arrival in the area.
It quoted local officials as saying that the visit of the US officials falls within the framework of the second phase of the upcoming military operation against al-Shabaab.
Meanwhile, the extremist Somali youth movement claimed to have received "intelligence information" regarding a US plan to return Ethiopian forces to Somalia.
In an interview with al-Shabab-affiliated radio, the militant group's spokesman, Ali Rage, accused the US of mobilizing forces against the group.
He said the original plan was to eliminate al-Shabab within six months, noting the failure of the first phase of the operation, which included NATO members such as the US and Türkiye.
Earlier this month, Mogadishu International Airport received a US Air Force plane loaded with a shipment of military equipment to support the Somali forces.
Somali Defense Minister Abdulkadir Nur said it would contribute to the war against the al-Shabab Movement.
Last year, US President Joe Biden restored 450 troops to Somalia to advise Somali soldiers, more than a year after his predecessor Donald Trump ordered their withdrawal.
Before Trump's decision, the US had about 700 troops in Somalia focused on helping local forces against the al-Qaeda-affiliated al-Shabaab insurgency.
In addition to the military and logistical support, Washington allocated through the Rewards for Justice Program (RFJ) of the US State Department a reward of $5 million for information leading to the arrest of Shabaab leader, Ali Rage, accused of involvement in terrorist attacks in Kenya and Somalia.
Officials in the Mahas region said that they are moving to the Galgaduud area to remove the Movement from it and urged locals to expel the al-Shabab from the whole country.
Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud announced the resumption of the second face of military operations against terrorism in several areas, noting that the national army is intensifying its operations against al-Shabaab Movement linked to the al-Qaeda organization, and inflicted heavy losses upon it.
