On Wednesday, Somalia proclaimed the capture of a top boss from the terrorist faction al-Shabaab in the central Galgadud region.
Ali Geelle, a high-ranking leader linked to al-Qaeda’s offshoot al-Shabaab, was nabbed by the Somali National Army (SNA) in a military operation in Galgadud, according to a terse Defense Ministry communique.
“The operation in Galhareeri district, Galgaduud region, also saw the confiscation of a vehicle, a gun, and some ammo,” the ministry posted on X. They noted that Geelle had been involved in extorting money and coercing minors into joining the terror group.
Backed by local militias, the Somali National Army has been waging war against al-Shabaab in the south-central areas for the past thirty months, reclaiming vast expanses, including Haradhere, a key coastal town in the Mudug region.
Somalia has grappled with violence for decades, chiefly driven by threats from al-Shabaab and Daesh/ISIS terrorists.
Since 2007, al-Shabaab has waged a guerrilla war against the Somali government and the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS)—a comprehensive mission sanctioned by the African Union and endorsed by the UN Security Council.
The frequency of assaults by al-Shabaab has surged ever since Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud proclaimed an “all-out war” on the group.
