DHUSAMAREB (KAAB TV) – Somali government forces and its allied clan militia withdrew from the strategic Ceel Garas town in the Galgaduud region on Monday, after briefly recapturing it from Al-Shabaab insurgents.
The government of Somalia has remained tight-lipped about the specific reasons behind the military operation that led to the takeover and subsequent withdrawal, even though Ceel Garas held considerable significance as one of the key areas from which Al-Shabaab had been expelled.
Eyewitness reports from Ceel Garas paint a stark picture of the situation, with not a single soldier remaining in the town on Monday night.
Instead, all military forces were said to have retreated to Ceel La Heley, a small village located in close proximity to Dhuusamareeb city.
Al-Shabaab fighters were reportedly encroaching on the outskirts of Ceel Garas, creating a precarious security situation.
Two regional MPs were among three people killed in a landmine explosion on Monday when the joint forces entered the town.
Prior to the government forces’ arrival and their subsequent withdrawal, local residents had reportedly fled the town in anticipation of the military operation. This exodus underscores the complex and volatile security environment that has persisted in the region.
Shortly after the takeover, a high-level delegation consisting of the President of the Galmudug administration, Ahmed Qorqor, the Minister of Defense Abdukadir Mohamed Nur, and the Chief of Security of the National Intelligence and Security Agency (NISA), Mahad Salad, visited the town before departing quickly.
Ceel Garas is strategically situated along the road connecting Dhusamareb and Ceel Buur and had remained under Al-Shabaab’s control for several decades.
The sudden developments in the area raise questions about the evolving dynamics of the region and the future of Ceel Garas in the broader context of Somalia’s ongoing operations against Al-Shabaab.