EL LA HELAY, Somalia – Al-Shabaab launched an artillery attack last night in El Lahelay area, one of the areas under the Dhusamareeb district, the capital of Galmudug state.
The group fired a number of mortars at the positions of the government forces and those of local clan fighters in El Lahelay area, but no casualties were reported from the mortars.
Officers of the allied forces said that the shells fell in an open area, and no one was hurt.
El Lahelay is one of the areas that was recently taken over by the government forces and local residents from the Al-Shabaab which ruled the area for a long time, almost 16 years.
However, the attack coincides with the President of Galmudug Ahmed Abdi Kariye Qorqor visiting the area yesterday, along with Defence minister and NISA chief Mahad Salad.
In conjunction with clan militias, the national army has dislodged the Islamist insurgency Al-Shabaab from swathes of central Somalia, marking a breakthrough in the 16-year war.
As the war proceeds to the second phase, the Somali government has been urged to take steps to strengthen its hold on the territory it has retaken and not allow Al-Shabaab to come back.
Starting in August 2022, the Somali government launched a fresh offensive against Al-Shabaab, capitalizing on mounting discontent with the Islamist insurgency, particularly among the politically dominant Hawiye clan.
The government’s push marks a breakthrough in a war that has raged for more than fifteen years. In contrast, the new offensive is spearheaded by the Somali military, in conjunction with local clans that made gains in HirShabelle and Galmudug, where dozens of areas have been captured since last year.
