Mogadishu – Somali authorities have denied claims by the militant group Al-Shabaab that it captured the strategic town of Ceeldheer in the Galgaduud region, following intense clashes with government forces and allied local fighters on Saturday.
Speaking to the media, Ceeldheer district commissioner Abdirahman Ahmed Omar dismissed the group’s statement as “false and misleading propaganda,” asserting that government forces remain in full control of the town.
The fighting erupted early Saturday morning when Al-Shabaab militants launched a coordinated assault on Ceeldheer.
According to witnesses, the battle lasted for several hours, with heavy casualties reported on the militants’ side. Bodies of Al-Shabaab fighters were seen on the outskirts of the town, residents said.
Somalia’s Defence Minister Ahmed Moalim Fiqi praised the response of the army and local forces, saying they had “courageously repelled” the attack and inflicted significant losses on the militants. He added that the attackers were unable to evacuate their dead and wounded.
A government statement later declared that Al-Shabaab had been “taught an unforgettable lesson,” emphasizing the group’s failed attempt to seize the town.
The incident comes as part of ongoing military operations in central Somalia, where government forces are targeting Al-Shabaab’s remaining strongholds.
The militant group continues to pose a significant threat despite sustained offensives by Somali and allied forces.
