Friday September 12, 2025
A view of the central Somali town of El-Dheer, where Somali government troops and allied local militias repelled an Al-Shabaab attack on Friday, according to officials. The fighting left casualties on both sides, though exact figures remain unclear.
Mogadishu (HOL) — Somali government troops and allied local militias repelled an Al-Shabaab attack on the central town of El-Dheer on Friday, inflicting heavy losses on the militants as fighting continued on the town’s outskirts in the Galgaduud region.
The militants targeted government and local defence positions early in the morning. Al-Shabaab later claimed online that it had captured El-Dheer and killed soldiers, though those claims could not be independently verified.
District commissioner Abdirahman Ahmed Omar rejected the group’s statements, saying government forces remain in control. “The fighting is still ongoing, but our forces are working to clear them out completely,” he told Hiiraan Online.
Somalia’s Ministry of Information described the attack as a failed attempt to overrun the town, saying troops had taught Al-Shabaab “a memorable lesson.” The statement, carried on state television, said bodies of slain fighters were left scattered on the town’s perimeter. Defence Minister Ahmed Moalim Fiqi confirmed the report, saying Al-Shabaab had suffered a major defeat.
The Somali National News Agency (SONNA) reported that the army and local forces, “with confirmation from Minister of Defence Ahmed Moalim Fiqi,” had inflicted a heavy defeat on Al-Shabaab in El-Dheer, forcing them to retreat and abandon their dead.
State Minister of Defence Omar Ali Abdi also praised Somali troops and local fighters. “This morning, the Khawarij attempted an attack on El-Dheer but suffered a heavy defeat,” he posted on X. “I commend the Somali National Army and the local forces for their bravery. I pray to Allah to grant our martyrs Jannatul Firdaws. Victory to our strong forces.”
El-Dheer, a dusty town on Somalia’s central plains, slipped back under government control in December 2023. It was part of a wider push in which Somali troops, helped by clan militias, drove Al-Shabaab from a string of settlements across Galmudug and Hirshabelle. The campaign stood out as one of the most significant gains by Somali forces and allied militias in years.
Casualty figures from Friday’s fighting remained unclear, with hostilities still ongoing.
Al-Shabaab, an al-Qaida-linked group, has waged a violent insurgency in Somalia for more than 15 years, targeting both military and civilian sites.