MOGADISH, SOMALI – Somali forces on Thursday said they had repelled dawn attacks by extremists in Al-Shabaab in the village of Walgadi in the Masazidha Arigadoudua district of the Central Shovel region.
According to a military statement, the assault began with a series of explosions, followed by a fierce gunfight between government forces and extremists. The Army claimed that the Al-Shabaab fighter jets were “crushed” during the conflict.
Commander Mohamed Ibrahim, head of the 18th Battalion of the Elite Golgol Commandos, denied any reports that Al-Shabaab had captured Walgadi. “Me and my troops are now on the ground,” he said in a statement broadcast by state media.
He described the engagement as a “lesson” of the rebels, adding that their bodies were “scattered” across the battlefield.
A short video released by state media showed the commander and his troops stationed at the memorial in Wargadi, rebutting the allegations that Al Shabaab had seized the area from the SNA.
“This is Walgadi. The national army and local Makawisley forces are in full control. There is no basis for the claim that the village was filmed,” Commander Ibrahim said.
State media reported that at least 40 Al-Shabaab fighters were killed in the battle and security operations were underway to pursue the militants remaining in the neighborhood.
The military statement came shortly after Al Shabaab claimed he ruled Wolgadi during the attack and claimed that he had seized the weapons during the attack, but claimed he had suffered a casualty on the Somali army.
Al-Shabaab, a group associated with al-Qaeda, frequently launches attacks on government forces and civilian targets to overthrow the internationally supported Somali government.
