Thursday 24, April -2025 {HMC} Somali army forces repelled an early morning Al-Shabaab assault on a key military base in the Wargaadhi area of Middle Shabelle region on Thursday, according to government officials.
The attack began shortly after morning prayers with explosions and a coordinated ground assault by Al-Shabaab militants. The Wargaadhi base, located along a critical supply route, hosts elite Somali units including Danab commandos, Gorgor troops, and local Ma’awisley militia fighters.
Deputy Minister of Information Abdirahman Sheikh Yusuf Al-Adala said the army withstood the attack and inflicted heavy losses on the militants.
“Our forces pushed back the attackers, and many bodies of the Khawarij [Al-Shabaab] are scattered across the battlefield,” he told state media.
While casualties were reported on both sides, the government has not released official figures. Al-Shabaab, which is designated as a terrorist organization by Somalia, the United States, the United Nations, and the African Union, claimed to have entered the base.
However, Hiiraan Online could not independently verify those claims.
The Wargaadhi area is a key logistical corridor linking coastal and inland areas in the Middle Shabelle region. Analysts say that control over Wargaadhi is critical to isolating Al-Shabaab cells entrenched in Nuur Dugle and Adaan Laxey.
The latest attack underscores the group’s ongoing threat, even as Somali and allied forces escalate operations across Hirshabelle and Galmudug. The federal government continues to face challenges in reclaiming territory lost during previous setbacks, including the fall of strategic towns such as Ceel Baraf, Masjid Ali Guduud, and Adan Yabaal.
