MOGADISHU, Somalia – (SMN) – Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud held urgent talks late last night with General Yusuf Odowaa Rage, the commander of the Somali National Army (SNA), and other officers, following Al-Shabaab’s recapture of the strategic town of Adan Yabal in central Somalia last week.
The high-level meeting, held at Villa Somalia in Mogadishu, focused on the circumstances that led to the loss of Adan Yabal, a town in the Middle Shabelle region previously used as a launchpad for anti-insurgent operations by government forces.
Military officials briefed the president on the current state of the fight against the Al-Qaeda-linked militants in the regions of Middle Shabelle and Hiiraan, where government forces have faced mounting challenges in dislodging Al-Shabaab from key areas.
According to sources quoted by Shabelle Radio, President Mohamud expressed frustration over the army’s failure to maintain control of Adan Yabal, located approximately 245 kilometres north of the capital.
He instructed senior military leadership to immediately launch new operations to reclaim the town and other areas recently captured by the militant group.
The president reportedly rebuked top commanders for what he described as a dereliction of responsibility in the ongoing war against Al-Shabaab, emphasizing the need to restore government control over Adan Yabal.
Meanwhile, Al-Shabaab has intensified its attacks in both Hiiraan and Middle Shabelle since last month, seizing new territory amid a resurgence in insurgent activity.
