Two high-ranking security officials in Somalia sustained severe injuries during a suspected Al-Shabaab assault. The country’s army and international allies have been ramping up efforts to combat the frequent raids carried out by Al-Shabaab across the unstable Horn of Africa nation, which has been facing unrest for the past thirty years.
Al-Shabaab militants often target security officers, senior government officials, and innocent civilians in their despicable attacks. However, security officers are particularly vulnerable due to their role in eliminating the militants.
During an attack in Barujereed, Galgaduud, a region that has been plagued by numerous Al-Shabaab attacks for the past sixteen years, Shaafi Abdi Jama, the Deputy Commissioner of Guriel District, and Osman Hudeey, the Police Station Commander, sustained injuries. President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud recently visited Galgaduud to boost morale among soldiers and encourage them to intensify the fight against the militants, who currently hold control over large rural areas in central and southern Somalia. The militants have been under continuous pressure for the past few months across the country.
According to multiple reports, the two injured officials were part of a reinforcement team sent to assist their colleagues who were under attack at a nearby Forward Operating Base. Al-Shabaab militants frequently target military bases in their strategy to destroy military equipment and harm innocent civilians.
Guriel District Commissioner, Farah Abdi Moalim, informed journalists that despite the security officers sustaining injuries during the attack on the army base, the assailants were successfully repelled. The authorities reported significant losses inflicted on Al-Shabaab during the incident.
Further reports reveal that this attack occurred approximately two days after the Ministry of Information and Tourism confirmed that the Somali National Army, along with its partners, conducted a raid in the Shabellow forest within the Mudug region, resulting in the death of more than 20 Al-Shabaab militants.
