(22-04-23) MOGADISHU – An Al-Shabaab attack on a military base in the Masagaway area of the Galgaduud region was successfully repelled by government forces this morning. The militants began their assault with a car bomb before engaging in direct combat with the military personnel stationed at the base.
Local sources reported heavy fighting in the area, with the sound of gunshots audible from outside Masagaway. Despite the initial violence, government forces successfully defended the base and thwarted the attackers.
Al-Shabaab has claimed responsibility for the attack, with the group’s news outlet stating that its fighters infiltrated the military base and inflicted heavy losses on the troops. However, federal government officials and General Taredisho, an officer in the national armed forces, contradicted these claims, stating that the militants were “heavily defeated.”
General Taredisho confirmed that 18 Alshabaab members were killed in the attack. Tragically, three traditional elders who had taken up arms against the militants, some of whom were school teachers, lost their lives in the attack. General Taredisho referred to them as “martyrs.”
The thwarted attack follows recent heightened activity against Al-Shabaab in the Galgaduud region. Just two days ago, a decisive battle took place in the Budbud area, also within Galgaduud, after an attack by members of the Al-Shabaab group. The Somali Nationa Army and Galmudug forces have since reclaimed front-line areas in the ongoing struggle against the extremist organization.
