MOGADISHU (Somaliguardian) – Fierce fighting between Somali government forces backed by clan militias and Al-Shabaab militants has entered its second week in the strategic town of Aborey, in eastern Hiran region amid escalating airstrikes targeting insurgent positions.
The Al-Qaeda-linked group seized Aborey last week in a calculated move to sever military supply lines between government forces and the key town of Bulo Burde. The capture also appears to be part of a broader campaign to regain control over Adan Yabal town in Middle Shabelle region, a former Al-Shabaab stronghold lost in a late 2022 government offensive.
On Sunday night, air raids—believed to have been carried out by Ethiopian MiG fighter jets—struck militant-held positions in Aborey using barrel bombs and incendiary materials, according to regional sources. Similar tactics have been employed in past offensives, though they have largely failed to dislodge the militants.
Despite repeated assaults since last week by Somali troops and allied local militias known as the Ma’awisley, efforts to reclaim the town have been repelled with heavy casualties reported on both sides. The military has yet to release official figures.
Since early March, the Somali National Army has suffered significant territorial setbacks, losing control of dozens of towns and villages across Hiran, Lower Shabelle, and Middle Shabelle regions. Efforts to reverse these losses, including numerous airstrikes conducted by the international partners, have thus far failed to yield meaningful gains.
It remains uncertain whether Aborey will be retaken or if its fall signals a further strategic advance by Al-Shabaab towards other critical towns in Hiran, including Mahas and Moqokori.
Al-Shabaab, designated a terrorist organization by the United Nations and numerous governments, has waged a brutal insurgency in Somalia for over a decade in a bid to topple the Western-backed Somali federal government.
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