Somali forces repel al-Shabab attack in Middle Shabelle after pre-dawn blast, ministry says
JOWHAR, Somalia — Somali government forces repelled an al-Shabab attack on military positions in the Jabad Godane area of Middle Shabelle early Sunday after a pre-dawn explosion triggered hours of heavy fighting, the Defense Ministry said.
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In a statement, the ministry said the Somali National Army (SNA) “successfully foiled the assault” and now has full control of the area. Officials said the attack began with an explosion believed to be a suicide bombing before militants attempted to overrun army bases.
The ministry did not release casualty figures. Several residents reported that a significant number of militants were killed during the clashes, but those accounts could not be immediately verified due to limited access to the front-line area.
“A large-scale operation is currently underway, including reconnaissance and security sweeps, to eliminate the remaining militants hiding in the area and prevent any attempt to regroup or disrupt the peace of local communities,” the Defense Ministry said.
The assault comes amid intensified government operations against al-Shabab in parts of Middle Shabelle, particularly near the Warsheekh district, as security forces seek to weaken the group’s presence along key supply and movement corridors north of Mogadishu. The push underscores the strategic importance of Middle Shabelle, which serves as a vital link between the capital, central Somalia and the country’s eastern coastline.
Jabad Godane and surrounding areas have repeatedly seen clashes between the SNA and al-Shabab, which continues to stage complex attacks that combine explosions with ground assaults despite sustained military pressure. Sunday’s attack follows a pattern of targeting military bases and security installations to test defenses and disrupt stabilization efforts in recently contested zones.
Authorities said troops remained in position after dawn, conducting house-to-house searches and patrols to secure nearby communities and prevent militants from planting explosives on approach roads. The SNA reiterated its intent to sustain operations aimed at consolidating control in liberated areas and protecting civilians from further attacks.
Al-Shabab, which is linked to al-Qaida, has maintained an insurgency in Somalia for more than a decade, funding operations through taxation, extortion and smuggling, and frequently leveraging remote areas to stage raids into government-held territory. Analysts say the group’s ability to mount coordinated assaults, even as security crackdowns intensify, highlights both its resilience and the need for continued pressure on logistics routes, urban cells and rural staging grounds.
Independent verification of battlefield claims remains challenging in parts of Middle Shabelle, where movement is restricted by security checkpoints and the risk of roadside bombs. The Defense Ministry said updates would be provided as the clearing operation progresses.
By Ali Musa
Axadle Times international–Monitoring.
