MOGADISHU, Somalia – Heavy fighting broke out on Saturday after al-Shabab militants attacked a military camp in Masagaway, a town in the Galgadud region, about 270 km northeast of Mogadishu.
Saturday’s attack started with a suicide explosion, followed by militants attempting to enter the base held by Somali National Army (SNA) forces, leading to a heavy gun battle.
According to Radio Al Furqan, a pro-Al Shabab media outlet, the militants killed 9 soldiers and wounded 11 others while seizing weapons, munitions, and other supplies.
Somali military officials said their forces had foiled the raid and inflicted heavy casualties on Al Shabab, the al-Qaeda-linked group.
“Our national army forces in Masagaway repulsed an ambush attack by Al Shabab militants. We dealt a significant blow to the militants,” they said.
They also denied reports that militants briefly seized the base after overpowering SNA forces, forcing them to flee. Phone lines are reportedly down in the town.
Masagaway, about 270 km northeast of Mogadishu, was captured by government forces and local fighters in January 2023 during military campaigns against al-Shabab.
In April of the same year, Al Shabab militants raided the town, killing three pro-government elders who had been involved in local efforts against the group.
In May, Al-Shabab fighters, using suicide blasts, overran an army base, killing 73 soldiers and seizing vehicles. The claims have not been independently verified.
Driven out of Mogadishu in 2011, Al Shabab continues to carry out deadly attacks as military campaigns against them appear to have paused in the central regions.
For more than a decade, the group has been battling to impose a hardline interpretation of Sharia law in Somalia.
Al Shabab still controls large swaths of southern and central Somalia, from where it is believed to launch attacks on military bases and the capital, Mogadishu.
