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Al-Shabaab militants have captured the strategic town of Tardo in central Somalia’s Hiiran region, a military officer confirmed. The town, located at a crucial crossroads connecting several major urban centres, was overrun on Sunday after government-allied clan fighters were forced to retreat.
Major Mohamed Abdullahi told Reuters that Al-Shabaab fighters launched a sustained assault, successfully driving out local defence forces. The fall of Tardo follows the group’s recent capture of Muqokori, another nearby town.
Somali Member of Parliament Dahir Amin said more than 12,500 families have fled both towns due to the ongoing fighting. The militant group is now reportedly advancing toward other settlements in the region.
In response, approximately 100 Somali soldiers have been dispatched to support clan fighters in a counteroffensive aimed at halting the militants’ progress.
Al-Shabaab, which has been waging an insurgency since 2007, is affiliated with al-Qaeda and seeks to topple Somalia’s federal government and impose its own harsh version of Islamic law.
The group has intensified its campaign in Hiiran since the beginning of the year. While some of its offensives have reached within 50 kilometres of the capital, Mogadishu, Somali security forces previously reclaimed those areas.
