Saturday 23,March 2025 { HMC} Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud held meetings with local officials, elders, and intellectuals in Adale district on Friday to strengthen collaboration and accelerate military operations against Al-Shabaab in the Middle Shabelle region.
The president emphasized the need for unified support behind the Somali National Army (SNA) as it intensifies efforts to eradicate the militant group from the region. He praised local communities’ resilience and urged continued cooperation to ensure lasting peace and security.
“The support of local leaders and intellectuals remains vital in mobilizing communities and ensuring the success of our national forces,” President Mohamud said.
Elders and intellectuals commended the president’s direct involvement in the frontline campaign and reaffirmed their commitment to working closely with the government and security forces. The meeting resulted in an agreement to enhance coordination between the military and local communities to maintain momentum in the counterterrorism campaign.
President Mohamud, accompanied by senior military commanders, is spending his second night in the Adale district. His visit follows recent stops in the Moqokori and Adan Yabaal districts as he continues to assess battlefield progress and prepare for the next phase of operations.
The Somali government has recently stepped up military pressure in central and southern regions, aiming to reclaim Al-Shabaab-held territories and restore civilian governance.
An Israeli air strike in the southern city of Khan Younis in Gaza has killed top Hamas political leader Salah al-Bardaweel, a Hamas official told the BBC early on Sunday.
Locals say the air strike killed both Bardaweel, a member of the group’s political office, and his wife. Israeli officials had no immediate comment.
Israel’s military resumed significant strikes on Gaza on Tuesday, blaming Hamas, abandoning a ceasefire agreement that began on 19 January and ended almost two months of calm. Hamas rejected the Israeli accusations and, in turn, accused Israel of violating the ceasefire agreement that was signed and brokered by Qatar, Egypt and the US.
An official in the Hamas-run health ministry said 32 Palestinians had been killed over the past 24 hours across various parts of the Gaza Strip. In a statement, Hamas said Bardaweel had been praying along with his wife when an Israeli missile struck their tent, according to Reuters news agency.
The Israeli military launched a campaign to destroy Hamas in response to an unprecedented cross-border attack on 7 October 2023, in which about 1,200 people were killed and 251 were taken hostage.
More than 49,500 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza since then, the Hamas-run health ministry says, and there is large-scale destruction to homes and infrastructure in the Strip.
Source BBC NEWS
