Somali Forces Retake Town Near Capital After Al-Shabaab Attack

BAL'AD, Somalia - The Somali National Army (SNA) repulsed a major Al-Shabaab attack at Balad town, sources said, reflecting the commitment by the local forces to restore peace and stability in the Horn of Africa.

Residents reported heavy gunfire, explosions, and intense firefight in and around the agricultural town. This is the first major attack in the country in as many weeks, but the terrorists have significantly lost ground.

For the last two weeks, the Al-Shabaab have been launching pre-dawn attacks following operations by the Somali National Army and the African Union Support and Stabilization Mission in Somalia (AUSSOM) in Middle Shabelle and Hiran regions.

When President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud took over, these areas were where the federal government had successes against the militants during the 2022-2023 military offensive, which led to a major defeat against the group.

According to officials, the local troops got a major boost from the Burundian troops, who were stationed around the scene of the battlefield. Multiple casualties have been reported but the exact figures are yet to be disclosed.

This comes amid major differences between Mogadishu and Bujumbura over the exact number of soldiers who would serve in the AUSSOM. The Burundian government has threatened to withdraw the soldiers if a solution is not reached.

According to officials, the Burundian government wants the allocation of soldiers to be doubled to 2,000 from the current suggestion of 1050, but Somalia has not approved the number. A total of 11,500 people shall serve in AUSSOM as peacekeepers, including the civilian team.

Security analysts believe the capabilities of terrorist organizations are increasing and evolving relatively fast. In Somalia, the Al-Shabāab al-Mujāhideen Terror group could own the largest cache of Kamikaze and small surveillance drones in the entire East and Central Africa.

GAROWE ONLINE