Mogadishu: The Somali National Army killed 20 al-Shabab militants during an operation Wednesday in the country's southern region of Lower Shabelle.

The militants were killed as they were trying to regroup and carry out an attack in the region, said Minister for Information, Culture and Tourism Daud Aweis.

The military operations will continue in the region, Aweis said, adding that the government will soon launch the second phase of a joint offensive operation against al-Shabab militants with the participation of troops from neighboring countries.

"It is recognized that if al-Shabab militants are rooted out of Somalia, they can possibly move to neighboring countries like Kenya, Ethiopia and Djibouti and could cause regional security threats," he told a news conference in Mogadishu, the capital of Somalia.

The government forces have intensified their attacks against the al-Shabab group since President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud declared an all-out war against the militants in August 2022.

(With UNI/Xinhua inputs)