MOGADISHU, Somalia: Somali government forces reported a significant victory over the Islamist militant group Al-Shabab, killing nearly 50 fighters during a battle approximately 350 kilometers north of Mogadishu. Five Somali soldiers lost their lives in the confrontation.
The clash occurred in Ceeldheer, located in the Galgadud region, where government troops and allied militia ambushed Al-Shabab fighters who were planning an attack. According to a government statement, at least 47 militants were killed in the engagement, which also involved airstrikes against the insurgents.
Al-Shabab, which has been waging a deadly insurgency against Somalia’s central government for over 16 years, claimed responsibility for the attack. Local residents described intense fighting, with heavy explosions and gunfire lasting several hours. “There was heavy fighting in Ceeldheer town this morning after Al-Shabab attacked the town from several directions,” said Mohamed Hussein, a local resident. He confirmed that Somali government forces eventually regained full control of the town.
President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, who took office in May 2022, has vowed to wage “total war” against Al-Shabab. Despite being ousted from Mogadishu by an African Union force in 2011, the group remains a potent threat, particularly in rural areas of Somalia. They have also conducted attacks in neighboring countries like Kenya.
Somalia’s federal government, in collaboration with local clan militias, has been reclaiming territory from Al-Shabab in central Somalia. This operation has been supported by the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS) and US airstrikes. However, the offensive has faced challenges, with Al-Shabab managing to capture several locations in the central part of the country earlier this year.
