GEELGUB, Somalia – Somali government troops, backed by local militia, retook the town of Geelgub in Middle Shabelle from Al-Shabaab militants on Wednesday after intense fighting, the latest in a series of gains against the Islamist insurgency.
The Somali National Army launched a coordinated assault early Wednesday, driving out the militants who had recently seized the town, a government statement said. “The operation successfully removed Al-Shabaab from Geelgub,” it added. Local sources reported heavy casualties, with several militant bodies left on the battlefield.
Somali forces are now pursuing fleeing fighters in the surrounding areas, as tensions persist. The recapture follows the retaking of Aboorey in Hiiraan on Tuesday and Ruun-nirgood in Middle Shabelle earlier this week, bolstering government control in the region.
The offensives are part of President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud’s campaign to counter Al-Shabaab in central and southern Somalia, with intensified operations in HirShabelle aimed at halting the group’s advances.
HORN LIFE
