Mogadishu (HORN OBSERVER) – Dhurre Yusuf Garow aka Hilal, an al-Shabaab guerrilla fighter has defected to Somali authorities in the Bay region of Southwest state.
Dhurre called on other Al-Shabaab members to desert the group and surrender to the government.

The defection of Dhurre came hours after Somali Information Ministry claimed that Somali forces killed more than 3,000 al-Shabaab fighters and wounded 3,700 others during a months-long operation in south-central Somalia.

"About 70 towns and villages have been liberated from the hands of Kharijites of al-Shabaab by the Somali national forces with the support of the locals,” the statement reads in part.


Despite the loss of the major towns and villages, the group is still capable of carrying out deadly attacks on government institutions and military bases.

 The group this week attack a Somali base in the small town of Runirgod in the Middle Shabelle region.

In a statement posted on the group’s affiliated website, al-Shabaab claimed to have killed more than 51  soldiers and destroyed eight military vehicles.