Sunday 13,July ,2025 {HMC} The Ayr sub-clan, a prominent branch of the larger Hawiye clan, on Saturday delivered a major donation to support the Hawadle clan’s ongoing battle against Al-Shabaab militants in the Hiiraan region.
Members of parliament, ministers, business leaders, and intellectuals from the Ayr clan contributed $50,000, ten camels, 200 head of cattle, two food trucks, and several military vehicles to bolster the fight against the extremist group.
This is the largest single aid package delivered to frontline fighters in the ongoing three-year war against Al-Shabaab in Hiiraan. Clan elders expressed hope that the donation would significantly strengthen the Hawadle militia’s capacity in the conflict.
“This is not only material support but a powerful gesture of solidarity in our shared struggle to liberate the region from Al-Shabaab,” said one of the Ayr elders during the handover ceremony.
The donation comes as hundreds of troops recently arrived in Mahaas district from Guriceel and Matabaan in the Hiiraan and Galgaduud regions. The reinforcements, largely composed of fighters from the Habargidir clan, are joining forces with the local Ma’awisley militias and Somali government troops in an anticipated offensive to retake Moqokori.
Commanders of the new arrivals pledged unwavering support. “We are here to stand shoulder to shoulder with the Hawadle. This is a continuation of the brotherhood we forged when they helped us liberate Guriceel and Dhusamareb in 2008,” said a Habargidir officer.
The Moqokori district, a strategic town that connects several key roads across Hiiraan, Galgaduud, and Middle Shabelle, was captured by Al-Shabaab weeks ago following internal disputes and a temporary withdrawal of government forces.
Preparations for a large-scale military operation to retake the district are now in their final stages.
