Somali security forces rescue four children abducted by al-Shabaab

Security forces in Somalia's South West State have rescued four children who were abducted by Al-Shabaab and forcibly taken from their families to be recruited as child soldiers, authorities said Monday.

The children, all under the age of 18, were kidnapped from different locations and transported to Buush-Madiino, a militant stronghold in the Bay region, where they were to undergo military training, according to security officials.

Speaking to South West State media, one of the children said he was taken from Rabdhuure before being transferred to Buush-Madiino. Others said they were abducted while on their way to school and held in a remote forested area controlled by the militants.

After spending several days in captivity, the children managed to escape, trekking on foot for two days through the wilderness before reaching areas under government control. Security forces later secured them in Baidoa, where they were presented to the media.

Southwest State President Abdiaziz Laftagareen's administration has called for the children to be pardoned and reunited with their families.

Al-Shabaab, an al-Qaida-linked militant group, has been waging an insurgency against the Somali government for over a decade. The group routinely recruits child soldiers, often abducting them from schools and communities in areas under its control.