The town, which had been liberated from the al-Qaida-linked group in September 2022 during a government-backed uprising led by Hawadle clan fighters, fell back into militant hands after a coordinated raid involving four suicide car bombings, followed by a ground assault.

The Somali government has not officially commented on the attack, which marks one of the deadliest in the region this year.

According to multiple sources interviewed by Kaab TV, the attack began in the early hours of Monday after Al-Shabab fighters reportedly disabled local telecommunications networks, cutting off the town from outside communication.

The militants then launched their assault using Turkish-made armored vehicles rigged with explosives.

“Al-Shabab terrorists attacked us early Monday morning. They used four armored trucks as suicide bombs — it was impossible to stop them,” said Adan Gedi, a Ma’awisley fighter who survived the attack.

The armored vehicles used in the bombing are believed to be among the military hardware previously seized by Al-Shabab from Somali forces during past operations, including equipment originally donated by Turkey.

Following the explosions, Ma’awisley fighters and government troops reportedly fled the area, allowing Al-Shabab militants to storm the town.

Witnesses said the insurgents were later seen patrolling the streets, while many residents fled in fear.

Among those killed was Abdi Muumin Xiish, a senior Hawadle commander and the recently appointed head of Somalia’s National Intelligence and Security Agency (NISA) in Hiiraan.

Reports of Betrayal and Lack of Support

Survivors expressed anger at what they described as a lack of government support and alleged internal sabotage.

Multiple frontline accounts shared with Kaab TV claimed that Ma’awisley fighters were instructed to stand down during critical moments in the fighting — and some even alleged that drone strikes mistakenly targeted their own ranks.

“The drones didn’t come for Al-Shabab — they hit our men,” said Abdi Mohamud, another fighter. “Al-Shabab came from Lower Shabelle, Middle Jubba, Bay, and Bakool. Nobody stopped them. No intelligence, no warning.”

Liban Abdirahman, Deputy Minister for Internal Security in Hirshabelle State, acknowledged the limitations of relying solely on local militias.

“This war can only be led by a government, not by locals. For four years, these brave men have fought alone. Many have died. Too many resources have been lost,” he said.

“The federal government and international partners must step up. Instead, they appear distracted by elections and political maneuvering.”

Security experts warn that Al-Shabab is expanding both its operational reach and propaganda efforts, particularly in Hiiraan, Lower Shabelle, and Middle Shabelle.

Local elders report that some clans are entering bey’ah — an Islamic agreement of submission — with the militants, seeking to avoid further bloodshed.

Al-Shabaab seizes Turkish-donated armored vehicle, amid a deadly battle in central Somaliahttps://t.co/NIGgnFc8MC pic.twitter.com/QxULkfONAr

— Kaab TV (@KaabTV) December 26, 2023

Meanwhile, divisions within Somalia’s security forces and deepening clan rivalries have raised further concerns.

The group’s infiltration into government ranks has bred mistrust within the military and intelligence services.

While these security challenges mount, President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud is facing criticism for focusing federal attention and resources on Sanaag region, where tensions are rising between Puntland forces and SSC-Khatumo, a new local administration.

“The Somali government is losing towns and villages to Al-Shabab at a frenetic pace,” said Rashid Abdi, a Nairobi-based regional analyst.

“Yet Villa Somalia continues to deploy troops and airlift weapons to Sanaag to back proxy factions. Fighting Al-Shabab should be the top priority — but sadly, it never has been.”

The fall of Moqokori raises urgent questions about Somalia’s ongoing counterterrorism strategy and its ability to defend liberated territories as it faces continued attacks from one of Africa’s most lethal insurgencies.

The post Suicide Bombs, Armored Vehicles, and Betrayal: How Moqokori Fell to Al-Shabab Again appeared first on Kaab TV.

The mass defection took place in Xawaadley, a strategic town located approximately 50 kilometers northeast of Mogadishu.

The armed men, most of them belonging to the Jareer Weyne clan, were welcomed by Al-Shabaab fighters and reportedly handed over their weapons in exchange for cash and amnesty.

A Somali security officer based in Jowhar, who is familiar with the situation, confirmed the incident.

“Al-Shabaab contacted them and offered a deal—cash in return for their guns. The group also granted them amnesty upon surrender,” said the officer.

The surrendering fighters were reportedly part of the Afjar Brigade in Middle Shabelle.

Sources say many among the Jareer Weyne militia had been experiencing severe shortages of food and water and felt abandoned by the government forces they had been supporting.

Their disillusionment was further aggravated by long-standing grievances over marginalization and recent political tensions.

One key factor cited by the community was the death of General Sheegow Ahmed Ali, a Jareer Weyne military officer who was arrested by Hawiye clan-affiliated soldiers in Mogadishu in late 2023.

He died in government custody in April 2024, an incident that triggered widespread protests in the capital and deepened ethnic divisions within Somalia’s security forces.

The Somali Ministry of Defense has not issued a statement regarding Saturday’s surrender.

Meanwhile, Al-Shabaab claimed responsibility for the event, announcing through its media channels that it had received government troops and clan militiamen in Xawaadley.

The group stated that it had launched a “dawra” (religious re-education seminar) for the new defectors—a process often used by the militants to indoctrinate and recruit captured fighters.

Al-Shabaab did not specify the number of people who surrendered.

Xawaadley, a town of significant strategic value along the corridor between Mogadishu and Jowhar, fell into Al-Shabaab control in early June 2025 after Burundian troops from the African Union Support and Stabilisation Mission in Somalia (AUSSOM) withdrew due to severe flooding.

READ: Al-Shabaab Displays Downed AU Helicopter After Capturing Village Northeast of Mogadishu

The town had previously served as a Forward Operating Base (FOB) for both AU forces and Somali government troops tasked with preventing militant advances toward Mogadishu and the Hirshabelle state capital.

The fall of Xawaadley is part of a broader trend of military setbacks for the Somali government.

In recent months, Al-Shabaab has seized key towns and villages across Middle Shabelle, Lower Shabelle, and Hiiraan regions.

Government forces and allied clan militias have abandoned numerous positions, with internal reports blaming widespread corruption and logistical failures for the continued losses.

The post Over 150 Somali Soldiers and Clan Militia Surrender to Al-Shabaab in Middle Shabelle appeared first on Kaab TV.

According to Omar Abdukadir, a commander of the Hawadle forces, their fighters killed Nur Abdi Roble, a 47-year-old mid-level al-Shabaab leader who had been commanding militant operations in central Somalia.

“Today we engaged in another intense battle with the terrorist group,” Abdukadir said. “By the grace of God, our fighters killed Nur Abdi Roble, who was leading the al-Shabaab militia in the region.”

He also emphasized that the Somali federal government played no role in the operation. The confrontation follows several days of fighting in the area.

Last week, al-Shabaab launched coordinated suicide car bomb attacks on Ma’awisley positions in Ceel Hareeri and Moqokori, killing dozens of clan fighters in an effort to breach their defenses.

The Somali national army had recently withdrawn from parts of the Hiiraan region, leaving the local militia to confront the militant group alone.

Former Minister Abdullahi Godah Barre criticized the federal government’s lack of support, saying, “The people of Hiiraan are fighting alone without any support from Mogadishu.”

Meanwhile, African Union forces recently withdrew from Xawaadley town, located about 50 kilometers northeast of Mogadishu.

The pullback allowed al-Shabaab to regain control of the area.

Government and allied clan forces loyal to President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud have also reportedly retreated from much of the Middle Shabelle region, effectively ceding control to the militants.

President Mohamud has come under scrutiny following reports of secret talks with al-Shabaab.

He recently reappointed Mahad Mohamed Salad as head of the National Intelligence and Security Agency (NISA), a figure alleged to have longstanding ties to the terror group.

In a related development, Abdullahi Mohamed Ali “Sanbalolshe,” a prominent figure from the Hawadle clan and former intelligence chief, was dismissed from his post—fueling speculation over internal divisions within the government.

READ: Chaos and Looting Follow African Union Troop Withdrawal in Somalia’s Xawaadley, Allowing Al-Shabaab Takeover

The post Hawadle Clan Militia Kills Senior al-Shabaab Commander in Central Somalia appeared first on Kaab TV.