El-Dheer, Somalia – The President of Somalia’s Galmudug State, Ahmed Abdi Kariye, on Friday praised the Somali National Army (SNA) and local militia forces for successfully repelling a major Al-Shabaab attack on the town of El-Dheer in the Galguduud region.
In a statement, Kariye said the joint forces inflicted significant casualties on the Al-Qaeda-linked group, calling the battle a “decisive moment” for the people of El-Dheer.
“The strength of our nation and the people of El-Dheer was evident today. You delivered an unforgettable lesson to the terrorists who attacked you this morning. Your courage shows that the days of extremists hiding among us to harm our people are coming to an end,” Kariye said.
According to Somalia’s Ministry of Defence, more than 30 Al-Shabaab militants were killed in the dawn assault, which marked the fiercest fighting reported in central Galguduud this week. Six government soldiers were also killed, and 14 others wounded, the ministry confirmed.
Several senior Al-Shabaab commanders known for orchestrating attacks against civilians were reportedly captured during the clashes. Residents told local media that militant bodies remained strewn across the outskirts of El-Dheer, underscoring the scale of the militant losses.
Defence Minister Ahmed Moalim Fiqi commended the joint forces for “bravely defending El-Dheer,” and noted that Al-Shabaab was unable to retrieve its dead and wounded fighters from the battlefield.
The militant group later claimed it had taken control of El-Dheer and killed numerous government soldiers. However, those claims could not be independently verified.
District Commissioner Abdirahman Ahmed Omar dismissed the statement from Al-Shabaab as “fabricated propaganda aimed at misleading the public,” insisting that government and allied forces remain in full control of the town.
The incident comes as Somali forces, backed by local militias, intensify their operations in central Somalia in an effort to dismantle Al-Shabaab’s remaining strongholds.
