Al Shabaab captures central Somali town

15/7/2025 6:29

Al Shabaab insurgents have seized the town of Tardo in Somalia's central Hiiran region and are pressing on with an advance that has already displaced thousands, a military official said.



Tardo, a key crossroads linking larger urban centres, fell on Sunday after the al Qaeda-allied fighters of al Shabaab drove out government-allied clan fighters, Major Mohamed Abdullahi told Reuters.



Al Shabaab has waged an insurgency in Somalia since 2007 in a bid to topple the internationally-backed central government and establish its own rule based on its strict interpretation of sharia law.



"The group is advancing to other areas after the fall of Tardo," Abdullahi said. Somali forces and local clan fighters, known as Macwiisleey, are mobilising for a counterattack, he added.