Somali Army and Peacekeepers Recapture Strategic Town from Al-Shabab

Somali Army and Peacekeepers Recapture Strategic Town from Al-Shabab
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Somali forces and international peacekeepers have retaken the key town of Bariire from the Islamist militant Sunni Extremist group Al-Shabab after more than a week of intense fighting, Arab News reported.

Bariire, located about 100 kilometers west of Mogadishu in the Bas-Shabelle region, had fallen to Al-Shabab in March without resistance after Somali soldiers withdrew. The militants also destroyed a crucial bridge used for military supply lines. The African Union Support and Stabilization Mission in Somalia (AUSSOM), which includes over 10,000 troops, launched an offensive on August 1 to reclaim the town.

The Defense Ministry confirmed that federal forces, alongside Ugandan troops under AUSSOM, have now fully secured Bariire. It estimated that over 100 Al-Shabab militants were killed during the operation. Clearance efforts are ongoing, with security forces seizing significant weapons and supplies.

Despite AUSSOM’s presence, Al-Shabab has recently achieved several attacks, including killing at least seven Ugandan soldiers in June and launching assaults near Mogadishu, including an attack narrowly missing President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud’s convoy in March.