In the heart of Mogadishu, Somalia, a police vehicle zipped through the bustling streets, heading toward a restaurant shaken by a recent explosion. On this particular date, October 17, 2024, the establishment is frequently visited by law enforcement personnel.
On Saturday, the Ministry of Information in Somalia declared a significant military initiative aimed at quelling the al-Shabab militants entrenched in central Somalia’s Galmudug region. The campaign is reportedly making headway in diminishing the group’s operational capabilities.
A statement from the government on Saturday disclosed that a joint military action, comprising the Somali National Army (SNA), Galmudug regional forces, and allied local clan militias, resulted in the deaths of 30 al-Shabab fighters, with numerous others wounded.
“In a 48-hour operation at Qeycad in the southern Mudug area, the Somali National Army managed to neutralize 30 militants and injure 40 more,” the statement read.
The authorities indicated that the mission commenced based on intelligence reports about the militants’ activities in the sector.
Regrettably, three soldiers were wounded during this exchange, according to the officials.
Local accounts from Qeycad, adjacent to Ba’adweyn town in the Mudug region, described a fierce firefight lasting hours, which dealt a heavy blow to the insurgents.
The official report noted, “The clash persisted for hours, devastating the terrorists, enabling the SNA to seize control, while dismantling the strongholds of the group in the vicinity.”
During this conflict, several leaders within al-Shabab capitulated to government forces, including two prominent figures, “Mohamed Bashir Muse and Madey Fodey,” per the government narrative.
This offensive follows an unsettling event two days earlier when a suicide bomber wreaked havoc outside a busy eatery in Mogadishu, claiming at least seven lives.
Simultaneously, Somalia’s President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud was on an official trip to Kampala, Uganda, eyeing better bilateral ties and boosting regional security collaboration with Ugandan President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni.
“The President’s agenda includes discussions with President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, targeting stronger bilateral ties and improved regional security collaboration,” a Somali National News Agency brief mentioned.
Meanwhile, amidst diplomatic rows with Ethiopia, particularly over a maritime accord with North Western State of Somalia—a self-declared independent region—Somalia is inching closer to Egypt and Eritrea, both having longstanding disputes with Ethiopia.
Earlier this month, heads of state from Egypt, Somalia, and Eritrea convened in Asmara, reinforcing what experts call a burgeoning “axis against Ethiopia.”
Edited by: Ali Musa
alimusa@axadletimes.com
Axadle international–Monitoring
