Somali army convoy ambushed by Al-Shabaab in deadliest attack in years

MOGADISHU (Somaliguardian) – About 2,000 Somali National Army (SNA) troops with more than 200 military vehicles came under a militant ambush on the road linking Baidoa and Mogadishu on Monday, causing heavy casualties in what observers say is the deadliest attack the army has faced this year.

The convoy was attacked in the Jame’o area, on the road between the towns of Leego and Burhakabo in the Lower Shabelle and Bay regions, shortly after the forces left Leego.

The troops had been brought from different frontlines, including Galgadud, Mudug, Middle Shabelle and Lower Shabelle regions, and from the capital, Mogadishu. They were taking part in a federal government operation, codenamed Banooda, aimed at reopening the road linking Baidoa, Burhakabo and Mogadishu.

The operation was planned after forces loyal to former Southwest State leader Abdiaziz Laftagaren seized five key towns in Bay region: Burhakabo, Diinsoor, Awdiinle, Qansah Dhere and Berdale. That left Baidoa as the only city in the region under federal control.

The forces reached Leego on Saturday and have since faced militant ambushes and roadside bomb attacks that caused casualties. Monday’s attack in Jame’o was the deadliest, and analysts say it is the army’s worst setback since the Cowsweyne battle in Galgadud region in 2023, in which several hundred soldiers were killed.

Somalia’s Ministry of Defense broke its silence on Tuesday, saying more than 70 militants were killed in the attack. It said they used car bombs, which damaged SNA vehicles.

Al-Shabaab claimed responsibility, saying it killed 321 soldiers and wounded many more. The group released graphic images showing the bodies of soldiers, destroyed military vehicles and others captured by the insurgents, including armored personnel carriers belonging to the SNA.

The exact casualty figures are not yet known, but reports suggest they are high. Several military commanders were wounded and some were reported missing.

Dozens of army vehicles were seen retreating toward Bellidogle airbase through Yaqbariwayne village in Lower Shabelle, indicating that the army has withdrawn from its initial positions in both Jame’o and Leego.

The Ministry of Defense said the attack would not stop Operation Banooda, which it said would continue as planned. It was not clear how, however, given the casualties among the troops and the presence of militants on the road.

The attack came hours after SNA forces advancing from Baidoa were ambushed early on Monday on the road to Burhakabo and forced back with significant casualties. Laftagaren’s forces claimed that attack.

The operation appeared to be designed so that forces from Baidoa would advance toward Burhakabo while others moved from Mogadishu via Leego, and the two would meet in Burhakabo. Both groups were ambushed and suffered heavy losses, and the plan now appears to have failed.

The attacks come as Somalia’s political crisis worsens. The opposition has turned to armed action to force the incumbent president, whose term expired on 15 May, to leave office or hold an election that all sides agree on. The president has refused to do either.

Former National Intelligence chief Abdullahi Mohamed Ali Sanbalolshe recently announced plans to form an armed guerrilla faction to fight the federal government, joining Laftagaren. Mogadishu now appears to face multiple fronts: Puntland, Jubaland regional forces, Sanbalolshe’s Hawadle clan, former Southwest State forces loyal to Laftagaren, and Al-Shabaab. The federal government has clashed with all of these factions in recent months and years, and hostilities with them remain active.

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