Strategic Town Lost as SNA Troops Flee: Al-Shabaab Gains Ground Amid Crumbling Defenses  

MAHAS, Somalia - Disturbing details have emerged on how the Somali National Army (SNA) lost the strategic town of Mahas in Hiiraan, which, if confirmed, taints the image of the army irredeemably and perhaps raises questions about its ability to safeguard the country.

The African Union Support and Stabilisation Mission in Somalia (AUSSOM) troops are leaving the country based on the implementation of the Somali Transition Plan (STP), which recommends a significant drawdown of the mission soldiers and subsequently handover security responsibilities to local forces.

But the reality is hitting hard — with the latest capture of Mahas towns coupled with previous losses at Adan Yabaal, Moqokori and Tardo, which equally helped the SNA soldiers and their allies to keep the militants at bay for several years.

Ali Jayte Osman, the former Hiiraan governor who is credited with mobilising local fighters against Al-Shabaab, claims SNA soldiers based in Mahas fled from the scene, leaving Al-Shabaab to have a field day in the most consequential town in the war against the group.

"The Al-Shabaab fighters who captured Maxaas/Mahas numbered around 60. There was also a large Somali military force present, but they did not fire a single shot, and they fled," said Ali Jeyte Osman.

Cases of SNA troops fleeing from frontlines have been claimed before, with President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud issuing a stern warning to deserters. The government is yet to respond to the recent allegations of troops fleeing Mahas.

Jeyte has reportedly returned with support from Ethiopia, and its troops are set to be deployed in Garasyani, Yasoman and Mahas to assist the local forces. Hassan Sheikh's new security strategy gives the two Shabelle top priority to keep control over MOG, so nobody should expect any assistance from him, experts say.

In 2023, as the war against Al-Shabaab was taking shape in Somalia, President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud was sighted in military regalia, visiting soldiers on the frontlines at Mahas, Hiiraan. But since then, he has been accused of being preoccupied with the power struggles in Mogadishu as he pushes to change the constitutional order.

Al Shabaab’s capture of Mahas marks a serious blow to Somalia’s counterinsurgency efforts. The town had been under government control for nearly a decade. The request by Jeyte to Ethiopia's Somali region for military assistance is yet to be approved, though.

This gain gives Al Shabaab a stronger foothold in central Somalia, positioning them to strike deeper across the region, including key strategic routes toward Ethiopia. Mahas was the epicentre of the battles in 2023 during the first phase of the crackdown against Al-Shabaab after Hassan Sheikh took over.

The capture also signals a dangerous new phase in the group’s insurgency and exposes critical vulnerabilities in Somalia’s security framework despite years of Western-backed military support. Somalia has been fighting for stability for the last 35 years.

With the AUSSOM troops expected to leave and in the middle of financial constraints, it seems Somalia could erode the gains made over the years. The US government has declined to give additional support, but there are claims of embezzlement of financial aid by the regime in Mogadishu.