MOGADISHU (Somaliguardian) – Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud abruptly left the embattled frontline city of Adale on Wednesday, retreating beneath safety advisement as Al-Shabaab militants superior dangerously near his place.
His departure got here simply hours after insurgents seized Masajid Ali Gadud and a close-by village—merely 24 kilometers from his base—marking a dramatic reversal for presidency forces.
Mohamud’s workplace confirmed Thursday that he had flown to Ankara on the invitation of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan for pressing talks on bolstering army cooperation in opposition to Al-Shabaab. The journey indicators Mogadishu’s desperation for expanded Ethiopian floor help, as airstrikes alone have didn’t stem the militants’ relentless push.
Turkey, a key ally, has lately deployed superior Akinci drones to Mogadishu, although their operational standing stays unclear. For years, Ankara has carried out strikes utilizing Bayraktar TB2 drones—but Al-Shabaab’s resilience has solely hardened, exposing the boundaries of aerial campaigns with out strong floor offensives.
The president’s retreat underscores the Somali military’s near-collapse, with frontline defenses crumbling after the lack of Masajid Ali Gadud—a strategic city the place authorities forces had launched a significant offensive in 2022. The autumn of the city now threatens to unravel hard-won positive factors, leaving authorities scrambling to regroup.
As Al-Shabaab tightens its grip, Mohamud’s Ankara go to could also be a last-ditch bid to safe the heavy reinforcements wanted to avert a full-scale army collapse. However with militants advancing unchecked, time is operating out.
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