MOGADISHU (Somaliguardian) – Al-Qaeda-linked Al-Shabaab militants launched a large-scale assault on bases housing Ugandan troops and Somalia’s government forces in the town of Sabiid, approximately 40 kilometers southwest of Mogadishu, on Friday. The group claimed to have retaken control of the town following fierce clashes.
The attack comes just a day after reports indicated that Ugandan and Somali forces were advancing on the nearby Al-Shabaab-held town of Barire in the Lower Shabelle region. Images circulating online showed Ugandan attack helicopters engaging targets and artillery strikes being directed at insurgent positions.
In a statement, Al-Shabaab claimed to have overrun Somali army and Ugandan peacekeeper bases in Sabiid, alleging heavy casualties among what it called “crusader forces and apostate militias.” The group also asserted that it had seized weapons and military vehicles.
Images circulated on social media showed jihadist fighters at the town’s river-crossing bridge alongside captured equipment and military vehicles allegedly abandoned by retreating troops.
The fall of Sabiid threatens to encircle Ugandan forces operating near Barire, cutting off a key exit route. If confirmed, this would leave troops trapped between militant-controlled territories, including Sabiid to the rear and Barire ahead.
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Both Sabiid and Barire are strategic agricultural towns with critical river crossings. Government control of these areas is vital for securing Mogadishu against Al-Shabaab infiltrations and preventing vehicle-borne attacks.
Casualties from the clashes remain unclear, with no immediate statements from the Somali federal government or the African Union Support and Stabilization Mission in Somalia (AUSSOM). The assault marks the latest in a series of insurgent attacks across south and central Somalia in recent weeks.
Ugandan and Somali forces had only retaken Sabiid last month after Al-Shabaab’s lightning offensive in March saw the militants capture it along with Awdhegle and Barire. The latest assault raises renewed concerns over the allied forces’ ability to hold hard-won gains and break the militant siege on the capital.
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