MOGADISHU (Somaliguardian) – Al-Qaeda-aligned Al-Shabaab militants on Saturday launched a dawn attack on army bases in the central Somalia town of Eldher, igniting hours of intense fighting with government forces, state TV and media aligned with insurgents reported.
The gun battle comes amidst a backdrop of insurgent resurgence, which has seen government troops pushed onto the defensive, enabling militants to reclaim territory lost during the initial phase of a sweeping offensive that commenced in mid-2022.
Eldher stands as the solitary bastion under government control in eastern Galgadud region, following the Oswayne debacle that precipitated the hasty retreat of troops from neighboring towns like Gal’ad, Masagawa, and Run-nirgood. The aftermath of the dawn raid has been marked by numerous casualties, with two military officials, Yonis Hassan and Korneyl Abdulle, counted among the fallen, according to Caasimada Online news website.
In a statement issued following the attack, the militant group claimed responsibility, asserting the killing of 59 soldiers. Images circulated on social media purported to show militants in control of at least one army camp and captured military vehicles, contradicting the government’s assertion of successfully repelling the assault.
The timing of this onslaught is pivotal, as authorities brace for the relaunch of a stalled offensive against insurgents in central Somalia, aiming to dislodge their hold on urban areas in Hirshabelle and Galmudug states before the scheduled departure of ATMIS forces in December 2024. However, skepticism looms large as Deputy Commander of Somalia’s army set forth ambitious targets, vowing to eradicate insurgents within a month—a sentiment met with skepticism by analysts who recall similar unmet promises from higher echelons of the government.
The recent setback underscored a pattern of overpromising and underdelivering in Somalia’s ongoing battle against the terror group Al-Shabaab. Previous announcements made by President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud and his national security advisor in early 2023, promising that the government would eliminate the group by the summer of that year, have failed to materialize. Instead, insurgents have reversed government gains, reclaiming vast swathes of territory and stalling military operations, casting doubt on the efficacy of the government’s strategies.
As the dust settles over Eldher, questions linger about the government’s capacity to confront the entrenched insurgency that continues to wield influence across swathes of Somalia’s heartland. With each militant incursion, the fragility of security gains and the resilience of the terror group come sharply into focus, presenting a formidable challenge to Somalia’s quest for stability and peace.
