The Somali army has captured the strategic town of Awdhegle in the Lower Shabelle region from the al-Shabab terrorist group, the defence ministry said Saturday

The operation was backed by the Uganda People’s Defence Force (UPDF) serving under the African Union Support and Stabilization Mission in Somalia (AUSSOM) as part of “Silent Storm,” an ongoing campaign to clear al-Shabab strongholds in the Horn of Africa nation.

The ministry said Somali national armed forces, working with African Union troops, “this morning entered Awdheegle town in the Lower Shabelle region as part of the ongoing effort aimed at liberating areas where al-Shabab militants continue to hide.”

Awdhegle - an agricultural hub about 89 kilometers (55 miles) from the capital, Mogadishu, - sits on vital supply and reinforcement routes used by the Somali army and African Union peacekeepers for movement and logistics.

Since July, Somali forces, supported by the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (AUSSOM) and other international partners, have stepped up operations in southern and central provinces against al-Shabab, an al-Qaeda-affiliated group that has fought the Somali government for more than 16 years and regularly targets security forces, officials and civilians.