Monday September 15, 2025
Mogadishu (HOL) - The Commander of the Somali National
Army’s (SNA) Land Forces, Major General Sahal Abdullahi Omar, on Sunday visited
El-Dheer following Friday’s fierce clashes in which government forces and local
militias repelled an Al-Shabaab assault on the district.
During his visit, Major General Sahal praised the SNA troops
and allied local forces for their bravery in defending the town and inflicting
heavy losses on the militants.
“I commend the troops for their dedication and reaffirm that
counter-terrorism operations will continue until Al-Shabaab is fully eradicated
and Somalia is completely liberated,” he said.
According to the El-Dheer District Commissioner Abdirahman
Ahmed Omar, more than 70 Al-Shabaab fighters were killed in the battle, which
lasted several hours.
The fighting also caused casualties among government forces,
with six Somali soldiers killed and 14 others wounded, the Defence Ministry
reported.