The al-Shabab militant group has announced that it has taken control of Adan Yabaal, a town located in central Somalia that serves as a logistical center for government forces, approximately 220 kilometers (130 miles) north of Mogadishu, the capital.
The assault began before dawn on Wednesday, leading to a retreat by the army following intense clashes, as reported by a security officer cited by the Anadolu news agency.
However, this claim has been challenged by the military. Captain Hussein Olow, a military official in Adan Yabaal, informed Reuters that government troops had successfully repelled the attackers.
“The terrorist militants launched a desperate assault on Somali army positions in the Adan Yabaal district this morning,” stated Somali captain Mohamed Ali in a conversation with AFP from a nearby location. “Heavy fighting is still ongoing in certain areas of the town,” he added.
Al-Shabab has been engaged in conflict with the Somali government for over 16 years, frequently targeting government officials and military personnel.
Adan Yabaal holds significant military importance and acts as a vital logistical link between Hirshabelle state and the adjacent central state of Galmudug. The town was retaken from al-Shabab in 2022.
“After the early morning prayers, we heard a loud explosion followed by gunfire,” recounted Fatuma Nur, a mother of four, in a phone call to Reuters from Adan Yabaal. “Al-Shabab attacked us from two different directions,” she noted.
President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, a native of the area, visited the town in March to confer with military leaders stationed there.
At the beginning of the year, a new African Union peacekeeping mission replaced a larger contingent, but its funding remains uncertain, as the United States opposes a proposed shift to a United Nations financing model.
