Somali Army Regains Village from Al-Shabaab Jihadist Group
Al-Shabab gunman. X/@AJEnglish.
March 11, 2026 Hour: 10:54 am
The Army launched a large-scale offensive against the terrorist group.
On Wednesday, the Somali National Army reported that it regained control of the strategic village of Hawadley, in the Middle Shabelle region, wresting it from the jihadist group Al-Shabaab.
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According to the Ministry of Defense, the operation, dubbed Badr, included the destruction of insurgent positions and warehouses, which led to the liberation of the area used as a hideout by the Al-Shabaab group.
Local media reported intense clashes between Al-Shabaab and forces from the African Union Support and Stabilization Mission in Somalia (AUSSOM), which launched a large-scale offensive in the early hours of Wednesday.
Although the government regained the area, Al-Shabaab claimed in a statement that it “successfully defended” the town, recalling that Burundian troops from the African Union withdrew from Hawadley last year.
On March 2, the Ministry of Defense announced the capture of the strategic areas of Daarusalaam and Mubaarak in the Lower Shabelle region, as part of the offensive against the insurgents.
The operations have intensified following President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud’s August 2022 announcement of an “all-out war” against Al-Shabaab, which controls rural areas in the central and southern parts of the country.
The jihadist group also attacks neighboring countries such as Kenya and Ethiopia, extending the regional threat beyond the country’s borders. Somalia has been in conflict since 1991, following the overthrow of former President Mohamed Siad Barre, which left the country without an effective government.
teleSUR: JP
Source: EFE
