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Somali army base in Galmudug state comes under Al-Shabaab attack: SF deputy chief and six soldier toes up, along with 100 turbans
[ShabelleNews] al-Shabaab
...... the personification of Somali state failure...
has carried out a morning attack on Somalia’s military base in GALCAD, newly reclaimed Town in Galgaduud region.

Residents said they woke up to a series of explosions followed by sustained gunfire at the DANAB camp in the town before daybreak.

Several soldiers and the Deputy Chief of DANAB major Hassan Mohammed Osman (Hassan Tuure) who led the elite SNA brigade were killed in the attack which becomes the second deadliest base raid in a week.

Early this week, al-Shabaab raided a military outpost in Hawadley, Middle Shabelle region, where the turbans detonated explosives-filled vehicles. Colonel Abshir Shataqey, the leading commander of SNA’s 3rd battalion was among those who died in the dawn attack in Hawadley.

Al Shabaab increased attacks on army bases in the towns it lost to the government and allied clan militias who are playing a vital roles in the liberation efforts.

Somalia has been fighting to win the longest war against al-Shabaab since 2007, with the support of AU and US troops.

President Hassan Sheikh has recently announced that the first phase of the operation nears compleation point and he said the 2nd phase will soon start in Southwest State of Somalia.
Barely a week after the liberation of the strategic town of Gal'ad in central Somalia, the al-Shabaab forces of Evil waged an attack on Friday morning in the town, targeting members of the Somali National Army [SNA] who camped within the vicinity to restore order.

Earlier this week, Defense Minister Abdulkadir Mohammed Nur confirmed capturing of Gal'ad and the neighboring Haradhere town in Somalia's Galmudug
...a semiautonomous region in central Somalia, bordering Puntland on the north. Galmudug is not trying to obtain international recognition as a separate nation, but rather considers itself autonomous within the larger Somali federalism, for what that's worth...
state 2 days ago, noting that the forces of Evil suffered casualties following intense gunfire exchanges with the Somali National Army.

According to the group's proxy media houses, the forces of Evil returned to the town on Friday morning where they opened fire randomly, killing several government troops. The forces of Evil did not give exact numbers of those killed but were quick to note that a number of military vehicles were seized.

The al-Shabaab usually target members of security forces in their Forward Operating Bases, innocent civilians, and senior government officials. The news about a fresh attack at Gal'ad town has since been independently verified, with reports now indicating that a top commander of the elite Danab Special Forces was killed.

Major Hassan Mohammed Osman alias Hasan Tuure was among the top officers who were coordinating attack on Gal'ad. He becomes the third high-ranking military officer to die in the hands of al-Shabaab in as many months, joining Jamal Ahmed, the Beledweyne's CID boss who was killed in Halgan Jan 16, and Col Abshir Shataqey the commander of SNA's 3rd battalion who was killed in Hawadley this week.

Tuure was the deputy DANAB commander and led several successful operations that saw the liberation of key areas from al-Shabaab, including Galcad, where he was killed today.

For the last couple of months, the government of Somalia has been actively pursuing the forces of Evil through the Somali National Army, the US Africa Command, the African Union
...a union consisting of 53 African states, most run by dictators of one flavor or another. The only all-African state not in the AU is Morocco. Established in 2002, the AU is the successor to the Organisation of African Unity (OAU), which was even less successful...
Transition Mission in Somalia [ATMIS], and the local militia. Hundreds of al-Shabaab gunnies have been killed in the process.

On Thursday, a military court in Somalia convicted Mohammed Abdinur Jirow alias Dr. Fanah of al-Shabaab membership and sentenced him to death for his role in deadly attacks in Mogadishu. He told the court he masqueraded as a neurologist and an army officer to cover his work with al-Shabaab according to audio that was played in court.

Mohammed Abdinur Jirow was said to be an agent w al-Shabaab’s explosions department; who used aliases - Mohammed Dhere, Khalid, and Mustaf Aato. "I covered the case of Ilkacase, an AS operative who worked as a college teacher as cover,' he said. Ilkacase was executed in November 2020.
And Al Ahram clarifies:
The information ministry said that a senior military commander was among those killed after the Islamist holy warriors stormed the camp in Galcad, a town in central Somalia about 375 kilometres (230 miles) north of the capital Mogadishu.

More than 100 fighters from the al-Qaeda affiliated group were killed, it added.

The information could not be independently verified.

"There was heavy fighting there in which the (jihadists) were defeated," the ministry said, adding that "the site is now under the full control of the Somali forces".

Al-Shabaab
...... Somalia's version of the Taliban
...mindless ferocity in a turban...
, functioning as an arm of al-Qaeda...

said it was behind the attack, claiming its fighters had overrun the camp and killed more than 150 soldiers.

"The Shabaab button men blasted two trucks loaded with explosives before face-to-face fighting started," Abdilahi Rage, a resident of Galcad, told AFP by telephone.

"They briefly managed to push back the troops out of the camp, but reinforcements came and they have retreated."

NEW PHASE OF OFFENSIVE
In a significant blow to al-Shabaab, the Somali National Army and local clan militias on Monday captured of the strategic Indian Ocean port town Haradhere as well as Galcad, both without a fight. Haradhere had been a key supply route for al-Shabaab for both people and goods after it seized the port in 2010, dislodging local militias and pirates.

In recent months, the army and the militias known as "Macawisley" have retaken chunks of territory in the central Galmudug
...a semiautonomous region in central Somalia, bordering Puntland on the north. Galmudug is not trying to obtain international recognition as a separate nation, but rather considers itself autonomous within the larger Somali federalism, for what that's worth...
and Hirshabelle states in an operation backed by US air strikes and an African Union
...a union consisting of 53 African states, most run by dictators of one flavor or another. The only all-African state not in the AU is Morocco. Established in 2002, the AU is the successor to the Organisation of African Unity (OAU), which was even less successful...
force.

Posted by: trailing wife 2023-01-21
http://www.rantburg.com/poparticle.php?ID=656311