Eldher, Somalia – Sept 14, 2025 – Somali army officers on Saturday presented weapons and two captured fighters from the militant group Al-Shabaab in the central town of Eldher, following heavy clashes that erupted there on Friday.
The two prisoners, both adult men, appeared before reporters in hand restraints and with their heads covered. Military officials confirmed they were captured alive during the fighting and vowed to treat them humanely before handing them over to the military court.
“They will be treated according to the law,” said a senior officer at the scene.
The seized weapons and the prisoners were displayed in the presence of Colonel Mohamed Dhagaweyne, commander of the Somali National Army’s 21st Division, Commander Sahid Jama Farah Jareer of the elite Gorgor commando unit, and other military officials.
During the same event, the army awarded a cash reward to a soldier who reportedly intercepted a vehicle packed with explosives that Al-Shabaab had planned to use in the assault on the central town.
Officials described Friday’s assault as the largest attack on the town since its liberation from Al-Shabaab in 2022. The militant group has not publicly commented on the incident.
Eldher, located in Somalia’s Galgaduud region, has seen increased military operations in recent months as government forces and allied militias intensify their campaign to oust Al-Shabaab from central Somalia.
