MOGADISHU (Somaliguardian) – Al-Qaeda-linked militant group Al-Shabaab has seized control of the strategic central Somalia town of Mahas, more than a decade after losing it to a joint Ethiopian military and Somali army offensive, in a coordinated and deadly assault launched from multiple directions on Sunday.
The attack began with a suicide car bomb targeting Somali security forces, followed by a multi-pronged infantry attack. Fighters advanced from the northern direction of Wabho, drawing in local militias and the Somali National Army (SNA). As security forces focused on repelling the northern offensive, a second militant contingent breached Mahas from the south, overwhelming the town’s defenses and securing full control.
In a statement, Al-Shabaab claimed to have killed 63 government troops and allied militia fighters, including a prominent regional commander, Mohamed Shidane, and wounded at least 84 others. The group also reported seizing weapons and military hardware during the assault.
The slain commander led units of the Somali National Intelligence and Security Agency (NISA) operating in Galgadud region and had long spearheaded counterinsurgency operations in central Somalia.
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Mahas, located in Hiran region, is a strategic transit hub that connects several key towns, including Baladwayne, Buloburte, Mataban, and El Bur. The town had been under the control of Ethiopian troops until their withdrawal in late 2024 as part of the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS) drawdown.
Since 2022, Mahas had served as a crucial logistical base and command center for a joint offensive by the Somali army and allied clan militias aimed at dislodging Al-Shabaab from central Somalia. That campaign initially pushed militants out of vast territories throughout 2022 and early 2023. However, nearly all those territorial gains have since been reversed.
As the insurgents advanced, local authorities evacuated medical equipment from the town’s main hospital to safer locations. Ali Jayte, a key figure in the anti-Shabaab clan uprising and former governor of Hiran region, reportedly fled to Ethiopia before the fall of the town.
Meanwhile, Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud and NISA Director Mahad Salad were in Djibouti holding talks with President Ismail Omar Guelleh at the time militants entered Mahas on Sunday. The timing of the visit has drawn criticism from opposition figures who accuse President Mohamud of abandoning the military campaign he launched against Al-Shabaab in favor of advancing controversial electoral reforms that many political stakeholders have rejected. Analysts warn the dispute is deepening divisions within the country’s political elite.
Neither the Somali federal government nor Hirshabelle regional administration has issued a statement on the fall of Mahas or the reported casualties. It remains unclear whether a counteroffensive is being planned.
Over the past five months, Al-Shabaab has recaptured hundreds of towns and villages across central and southern Somalia in a rapid and methodical advance. Security analysts warn the gains may unravel Somalia’s already fragile counterinsurgency efforts and caution that the capital, Mogadishu, could also be at risk—a concern the federal government has downplayed as fearmongering intended to bolster militant propaganda.
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