Al-Shabaab Exploits Somalia’s Political Divide, Briefly Seizes Jubaland Military Base in Gedo

Dolow (WDN) – Al-Shabaab militants launched a coordinated overnight assault on a Jubaland military base on the outskirts of Doolow, briefly overrunning the position before withdrawing at dawn, in what analysts say is another indication that the group’s resurgence is being fueled by Somalia’s deepening political divisions.

According to preliminary reports from Gedo region, the attack targeted a military outpost along the strategic road linking Doolow and Beled Hawo, a key security corridor near Somalia’s borders with Kenya and Ethiopia.

Local residents said the fighting erupted shortly after midnight as heavily armed Al-Shabaab fighters attacked the base using both heavy and light weapons. After several hours of intense fighting, Jubaland forces reportedly pulled back, allowing the militants to temporarily occupy the installation.

Witnesses said the insurgents remained at the base for only a short period before withdrawing before sunrise. Neither the Jubaland administration nor the Federal Government of Somalia had issued an official statement at the time of publication confirming casualties or providing details about the outcome of the clash.