MOGADISHU (Somaliguardian) – Somalia’s President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud on Saturday inaugurated a new Military Intelligence headquarters in the capital, Mogadishu, in a move authorities say will significantly bolster the army’s operational capabilities against Al-Shabaab insurgents.
Accompanied by Defence Minister Ahmed Moalim Fiqi, Chief of the Somali National Army Odowa Yusuf Rage, and a host of senior military officials, President Mohamud toured the newly constructed facility, inspecting its infrastructure and state-of-the-art equipment room by room.
Speaking during the ceremony, President Mohamud described the headquarters as a game-changer, noting that the advanced technologies integrated into the building will enhance the army’s ability to gather, process and act on intelligence in real-time. He said the facility would strengthen the country’s counter-insurgency strategies by enabling proactive military operations through timely intelligence delivery.
Following the inauguration, the President paid a visit to the Ministry of Defence, where he was briefed on the recent military operations against Al-Shabaab in the central Galgadud and southern Lower Shabelle regions.
The developments come a day after Al-Shabaab militants briefly captured the strategic town of Eldher in eastern Galgadud. The group released images purporting to show captured military vehicles and the bodies of Somali soldiers. However, the militants soon withdrew from the town under pressure, after which Somali government forces swiftly retook control.
Somali authorities hailed the recapture as a symbolic victory. Defence Minister Fiqi said around 60 militants were killed during the clashes and subsequent U.S. airstrikes, which were launched as Al-Shabaab retreated. The Somali army put the militant death toll at 30, while Al-Shabaab claimed to have killed 61 government soldiers.
The conflicting reports could not be independently verified.
The unveiling of the intelligence headquarters marks a new chapter in Somalia’s efforts to modernise its security apparatus and intensify the long-running fight against the Al-Qaeda-linked group, which continues to wage a deadly insurgency across many parts of the country.
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