Monday May 12, 2025
FILE — Somali National Army soldiers advance during a joint operation with local forces against extremist militants in the Bacadka Faarax Aadan and Caliyaale areas under Harardheere district, Mudug region, on February 9, 2025. (Photo: SONNA)
Mogadishu (HOL) — Somali National Army forces and allied Macawiisley militia fighters have killed a senior Al-Shabab commander in a coordinated operation near the village of Caalim, located in Harardheere district, Mudug region, officials said Monday.
The operation, part of an ongoing counterterrorism campaign, resulted in the death of Mohamed Ali Gaaguf, identified as the militant group’s top commander in Jawle. Two other Al-Shabab fighters were killed, and weapons were seized from their positions.
“The militants targeted in the operation had previously torched civilian farms in the area,” said Casayr Ibrahim Mataan, the district commissioner of Harardheere. “They were repeat offenders who terrorized the local population.”
Security forces also arrested Hareed Abdi Ali, a former militia fighter who defected to Al-Shabab eight months ago. Authorities allege he had been aiding the group’s recent activities against Macawiisley units.
Military officials said the joint offensive dismantled multiple hideouts used by the group to coordinate attacks across Mudug. The raid was conducted with logistical support from the Somali army and intelligence units.
The operation follows a renewed push by the federal government and local militias to secure rural parts of central Somalia, where Al-Shabab continues to operate. In recent weeks, Somali forces have launched a series of raids in Xarardheere and neighbouring areas in an effort to disrupt insurgent activity.
Al-Shabab has waged a violent insurgency against the Somali government for close to 2 decades and remains one of the region’s most resilient extremist groups, carrying out frequent attacks on civilian and military targets.