Al-Shabaab is said to have encircled Xarardheere from three directions, where clan-based Ma’awiisley militia have been deployed in recent months.

“Yesterday [Friday] the Shabaab launched a heavy attack on the town. The fighting caused many deaths. It is only clan militia who are resisting them,” said a resident named Mohamed Aamin.

Both the Galmudug administration and the Federal Government of Somalia have been accused of failing to provide reinforcements to the clan militia holding the town, while Al-Shabaab has blocked supply routes leading into Xarardheere.

As a result, food and essential goods have sharply increased in price, with the blockade tightening around the coastal district.

Security analyst Mohamed Sahal noted that Xarardheere has long been of strategic importance to Al-Shabaab, as it was once a landing point for smuggled weapons and foreign fighters.

“For that reason, recapturing Xarardheere is of great significance for Shabaab,” Sahal said.

The group also previously used Xarardheere as a base for hijacking ships, often working in partnership with pirate networks, generating millions of dollars in ransom.

Clan-based Ma’awiisley fighters, together with Galmudug-aligned forces, captured Xarardheere in early 2023, expelling Al-Shabaab.

However, since then, Al-Shabaab has carried out multiple attacks that have inflicted casualties, alongside roadside bombings and assaults on nearby villages.

FEAR SPREADS NEAR MOGADISHU

Meanwhile, in Middle Shabelle region, reports indicate that local elders recently held a meeting with Al-Shabaab members in what was described as a clan-based dialogue.

Heavily armed Al-Shabaab fighters reportedly arrived in the Maxaa Saciid area of Warsheikh district, where they met with community elders.

Residents in Warsheikh, who spoke to Kaab TV on condition of anonymity, said that Al-Shabaab raised issues concerning the clan militias known as Ma’awiisley.

Residents say they fear the militants’ incursion into the area could attract airstrikes by Somalia’s international partners, as there are no government forces to protect the civilian population.

Warsheikh lies about 61km northeast of Mogadishu.

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