Al-Shabaab militants, the wealthiest al-Qaeda-linked terror network, launched a coordinated assault on Ceeldheer town in Somalia’s Galgaduud region at dawn on Friday, using vehicles packed with explosives in a demonstration of tactical sophistication, local officials said.
The attack caused casualties, though the precise number remains unconfirmed.
Among the dead was government army commander Abdi Farey, according to federal sources, underscoring the severity of the strike. Several other wounded were evacuated to Mogadishu later that night.
Ceeldheer, previously reclaimed by government forces, briefly fell under militant control during the assault.
The town is considered a strategic hub, both logistically and operationally, for Somali security forces and allied clan militias responsible for maintaining order in central Somalia.
Ceeldheer District Commissioner Abdirahman Omar told reporters that government troops and local militias ultimately repelled the attackers.
“We had prior intelligence on their movements. They struck while the town was under heavy defense, and we inflicted significant losses,” he said.
However, Al-Shabaab released footage showing captured government and militia fighters, claiming to have seized military vehicles, weapons, ammunition, food, and medical supplies abandoned by retreating forces, including members of the Macawiisley militia.
Somalia’s Defense Minister, Ahmed Moalim Fiqi, confirmed that Al-Shabaab had been defeated in the clashes but made no reference to the captured soldiers or lost equipment, raising questions among analysts about the robustness of current military protocols.
Sources cited irregularities in how the assault unfolded.
Unlike typical Al-Shabaab operations, which rely on ambushes or hit-and-run attacks, this assault appeared highly organized. One source suggested that some officers had withdrawn before the attack, allowing militants to capture sleeping soldiers.
“What occurred in Ceeldheer is a national disgrace,” said security analyst Abdi Macaw. “Al-Shabaab took control with ease, seizing personnel, vehicles, and weapons. This raises urgent questions about possible collusion or serious lapses within the security apparatus.”
Calls for an independent investigation into potential insider assistance are intensifying amid perceptions of internal weaknesses.
Al-Shabaab, which lost much of its central Somalia territory during government-led offensives in 2022–2023, has since regained influence in parts of Hiiraan and Middle Shabelle.
The Ceeldheer attack highlights the group’s renewed operational capacity in central Somalia while simultaneously increasing pressure on Mogadishu. Militants have reportedly been amassing on the capital’s outskirts, fueling concerns over the government’s ability to safeguard key urban centers.
The incident in Ceeldheer serves as a stark reminder that, despite territorial gains, Somalia’s forces remain vulnerable due to gaps in operational resilience, troop discipline, and intelligence sharing—vulnerabilities that Al-Shabaab is increasingly exploiting with lethal precision.
