Thursday May 29, 2025
Beledweyne (HOL) — Somali National Army (SNA) troops, backed by local militia forces, launched a coordinated assault on Al-Shabaab positions in the Aboorey area of Buula Burte district, Hiiraan region, early Thursday morning.
Preliminary reports confirm that Abu Hanifa, a notorious Al-Shabaab commander who had recently led the militant group’s control over Aboorey, was killed in the attack along with an unconfirmed number of militants.
According to reliable sources who spoke to HOL, the joint forces are currently stationed at the frontline near Aboorey and are planning a follow-up offensive to retake the strategic area from the militants fully.
The operation is part of a wider campaign targeting Al-Shabaab hideouts along the Hiiraan-Galgaduud border, where Somali forces have intensified operations in recent weeks.
The SNA, in cooperation with community-based Ma’awisley militias, has been pushing to reclaim territories long held by Al-Shabaab across central Somalia. Thursday’s success marks another step in the effort to weaken the group’s grip on rural strongholds in the region.
