Officials warn of possible Al-Shabaab attacks on Hobyo and other areas

by: Staff Reporter | 23 April 2021 10:40

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Officials warn of possible Al-Shabaab attacks on Hobyo and other areas

DHUSAMREB (HORN OBSERVER) - Security officials and leaders in Galmudug state have warned of a possible terrorist attacks to capture strategic towns in the state barely a week after al-Shabaab wrested a town in central Somalia.

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DHUSAMREB (HORN OBSERVER) - Security officials and leaders in Galmudug state have warned of a possible terrorist attacks to capture strategic towns in the state barely a week after al-Shabaab wrested a town in central Somalia.

Last week, Somali National Army (SNA) and Galmudug state forces had vacated one of strategic military bases in Ba'adweyne town of central Somalia, citing lack of cooperation with the locals against al-Shabaab in the region.

Hours later, heavily al-shabaab fighters have peacefully wrested the town and hoisted their black flags on top of the military barracks and other government administrative blocks in the town.

Somali federal defense ministry has not commented on the loss of the town which for years had been spearheading the fight against the militants in Mudug region.

Located 110km northeast of Dhusamareb town, the town has helped the federal and regional authorities in the fight against militants by acting as fortress.

According to sources in the town, Al-Shabaab militant group before capturing the town last week, had increased threats and was in contact with the locals by asking them to cooperate and accept the group extortion method with exchange of amnesty.

Few people including two traditional elders from the area had opposed the group demands but they paid the ultimate price. The elders who fled the area in March were killed in Mogadishu Market by Al-Shabaab hit squads.

A local Galmudug officer had expressed concern over al-Shabaab’s latest move, warning that militants could proceed to attack several other towns near Ba'adweyne to extend their territorial control.

"We have the worry that al-Shabaab could recapture other areas like Gawan and Wisil towns which are not far from the port town of Hobyo,” said the officer who asked for anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the media.

Other sources have opined that the withdrawal of the forces could have been facilitated by the current political crisis in the country.

Some of federal MPs hailing from Galmudug state have also blamed the federal government for deserting and paralyzing the operations against al-Shabaab in the region.

"Farmajo's disastrous acts is not only to paralyze the 20-year-old federal government but also to destroy country's regional states. Some of Farmajo’s ally regional state leaders have been staying in the capital to help Farmajo get extension while not having any clue of what is happening in their regional states,” Abdirahman Odawa, a federal lawmaker said in a Facebook post. "In the past few days, al-Shabaab fighters took control of Ba'adweyne, a town that fought al-Shabaab for long time. The group also wrested Sinadhaqo and Labi Dulle villages on the outskirts of Dhusamareb.”

Al-Shabaab which once controlled large swathes of territories in central and southern Somalia lost major towns including port cities like Mogadishu, Elma’an, Hobyo, Kismayo. Lack of habour has forced the group to seek alternative supply route for their military.

With Ba'adweyne town falling into the hands of the group and no nearby SNA military base that could send reinforcement, locals in Hobyo and its environs now feel imminent threat that the militants could launch attack on the town.

There have been speculations that the militants are planning to stage deadly attacks to take control of Hobyo town, the move forced Galmudug state officials to meet with officials from their neighbouring regional state, Puntland over possible reinforcement from Puntland.

It is not yet clear what could fate of Hobyo port which is on the brink to join long list of al-Shabaab control towns in south and central Somalia.