By Horn Africa News
Beledweyne – Intense military planning is currently underway at Lama-Galaay camp in Beledweyne town, as Somali government forces and their African Union allies prepare for a fresh offensive aimed at retaking key towns recently seized by the militant group Al-Shabaab.
According to local sources, military and political leaders are coordinating operations to reclaim the districts of Moqokori and Maxaas in the Hiiraan region. These areas fell into Al-Shabaab control in recent weeks, raising concerns about the group’s growing influence in central Somalia.
One of the main figures spearheading the operation is Ali Jeyte, the former governor of Hiiraan. Jeyte has been holding strategy meetings with officers from the Somali National Army and the The African Union Support and Stabilization Mission in Somalia (AUSSOM), formerly known as AMISOM.
Al-Shabaab has recently increased its activities in both the Hiiraan and Middle Shabelle regions, where Somali and African Union forces have been engaged in a prolonged counter-insurgency campaign. The group’s resurgence in these areas has prompted fears of renewed instability.
Security sources indicate that the upcoming offensive is part of a broader plan to disrupt Al-Shabaab’s efforts to regain control of strategically significant areas it lost earlier this year. The situation remains tense, with Somali security forces expected to take preemptive action to thwart further attacks by the militant group.
