Friday September 12, 2025
Somali Defence Minister Ahmed Moalim Fiqi speaks at a press conference in Mogadishu / Credit: SONNA
Mogadishu (HOL) — Somalia’s Defence Ministry said Friday that more than 30 Al-Shabaab militants were killed in El-Dheer after government forces and allied militias
fought off a dawn assault, the heaviest clashes reported in central Galgaduud this week.
The ministry said six soldiers died and 14 others were wounded in the fighting, while several Al-Shabaab commanders known for targeting civilians were captured. Residents told HOL that militant bodies remained scattered outside the town, illustrating the scale of losses the group sustained.
Defence Minister Ahmed Moalim Fiqi praised the joint forces for “bravely defending El-Dheer” and said militants had been unable to retrieve their dead and wounded.
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 dismissed Al-Shabaab’s online claim that it had seized the town, calling it “fabricated propaganda meant to mislead the public.”
The ministry described the battle as proof of the army’s preparedness and vowed to intensify operations against the militant group. “The national army once again showed there is no place for the Khawarij to hide,” the statement said, using the government’s term for Al-Shabaab.
Friday’s fighting marked the second attempt by Al-Shabaab in recent weeks to challenge federal and local forces in Galgaduud, where coordinated operations have targeted its rural strongholds. The government said clearing operations were still underway around El-Dheer to track down fleeing militants.
The attack is the latest test of the government’s campaign in central Somalia, where allied militias play a critical role in holding recaptured territory.
Officials promised that additional support and equipment will be deployed to sustain momentum against the insurgents.