Somali Forces Display Captured Weapons, Prisoners and Bodies After Ceeldheer Battle

 

Ceeldheer, Galgaduud – 13 September 2025

The Somali National Army, in coordination with elite commandos and regional police, has showcased weapons, captured militants, and bodies of Al-Shabaab fighters following heavy clashes in the central town of Ceeldheer.

According to military officials, Al-Shabaab launched a coordinated assault on the town late Friday in an attempt to seize control. The attack was repelled by a joint force comprising the 21st Division of the Somali National Army, Gorgor Commandos of the 1st Division, and the Hirshabelle Police.

Senior military commanders, including Colonel Mohamed Dhagawayne (Commander of the 21st Division), Colonel Saahid Jaamac Jareere (Commander of Gorgor’s 1st Division), and General Xasan Dhicisow (Police Chief of Hirshabelle), attended the official display of captured fighters, seized weapons, and bodies recovered from the outskirts of Ceeldheer.

Military sources confirmed that several surrounding villages previously under Al-Shabaab’s influence were also liberated during the operation. Officials emphasized that the offensive is part of a broader campaign to free central Somalia from the militant group’s control.

The Somali government has pledged to intensify counter-insurgency operations until Al-Shabaab is completely driven out of Galgaduud and other central regions.