MOGADISHU (Somaliguardian) – A high-ranking commander of Somalia’s U.S.-trained elite Danab forces was killed in fierce clashes in the central region of Hiran on Tuesday, marking a major setback for government troops as Al-Shabaab insurgents continue reclaiming territory seized by the military in recent years.
Commander Asad Osman Afrah, leading a heavily armed reinforcement convoy from Adan Yabal town in the Middle Shabelle region, was ambushed en route to Aborey town—a strategic town recently captured by militants. According to military sources, Afrah was fatally struck by sniper fire during the attack, which also saw Somali Army Chief Odowa Yusuf Rage narrowly escape.
The ambush came as Somali forces launched a counterattack to retake Aborey, which fell to insurgents on Sunday. Earlier attempts to reclaim the town were repelled, with militants inflicting heavy casualties in close-quarters combat.
Afrah’s death marks the second senior military official lost in a week, following the killing of Nur Farey, the commander of the 14th October Brigade, near Afgoye town just days earlier.
Since President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud declared an “all-out war” against Al-Shabaab three years ago—vowing to crush the terror group within months—over a dozen top commanders have been killed.
Yet, rather than weakening, the militants have grown bolder and more entrenched, seizing multiple towns across Hiran, Lower Shabelle, and Middle Shabelle regions in recent weeks—effectively rolling back hard-won military gains.
Analysts now warn of a potential total collapse of frontline defenses, raising fears that militants could advance toward the capital, Mogadishu, unless urgent reinforcements and strategic overhauls are deployed.
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