Friday February 28, 2025
Mogadishu (HOL) – Somali security forces recaptured Ba’adweyne, a strategic district in the southern Mudug region, on Friday following a large-scale military operation to dislodge Al-Shabaab militants who had held the town for years.
Residents reported that Al-Shabaab fighters withdrew from the area as Somali government troops, supported by Galmudug regional forces, secured key positions and launched security sweeps to eliminate any remaining threats.
While the Somali government has not released an official casualty count, both sides reportedly suffered losses during the battle.
The operation is part of a broader military campaign to weaken Al-Shabaab’s hold in central Somalia. For months, government forces, in coordination with Galmudug’s Dervish units, have been conducting offensives to reclaim Al-Shabaab-controlled areas in the Mudug region.
Al-Shabaab, which is affiliated with al-Qaida, has escalated attacks in response to the ongoing military pressure. The group has long used Mudug as a staging ground for operations against Somali and allied forces, complicating efforts to stabilize the region.
