Tuesday August 5, 2025
Mogadishu (HOL) — Al-Shabab militants claimed to have taken control of the village of Goobo in central Somalia’s Hiiraan region after Somali government forces and local militia reportedly withdrew from the area without a fight, local sources confirmed Tuesday.
The extremist group entered the area without resistance on Monday after government-aligned forces vacated the village, which lies along a critical corridor connecting Matabaan in Hiiraan to Guriceel in Galgaduud. Goobo’s location near the interregional border has long made it a logistical and tactical hub for federal operations across central Somalia.
Most of Goobo’s civilian population fled in recent days, fearing an imminent Al-Shabab return. Many sought refuge in Baledweyne and neighbouring areas already strained by displacement from earlier fighting in Mahas and Aboorey. Officials warn that the growing number of displaced families is intensifying humanitarian needs across Hiiraan.
The fall of Goobo is the latest in a series of territorial reversals for the federal government in eastern Hiiraan, coming just weeks after Al-Shabab recaptured Mahas and Moqokori, both key towns reclaimed during the 2022-2023 offensive. The militants have steadily retaken swaths of territory in eastern Hiiraan that were once considered secured under Phase Two of the national counterinsurgency campaign.
According to the Somali government’s own reporting in earlier operations, the Goobo area had previously served as a forward position for forces attempting to disrupt Al-Shabab supply lines and fortify roads linking south-central to north-central Somalia.
The Ma’awisley militia, a network of community-based fighters aligned with federal forces, had been instrumental in pushing Al-Shabab out of the region during the 2022 campaign. However, recent losses and fatigue have raised concerns about their ability to sustain long-term defensive operations without greater logistical and operational support.
The federal government has not issued a formal statement on the loss of Goobo, but similar territorial reversals in recent months have prompted emergency counteroffensives. In the aftermath of Mahas’ fall, a Ma’awisley commander told Hiiraan Online, “We are prepared to fight until we reclaim every village and district under their grip.” It remains unclear whether such an operation is imminent for Goobo.
Security analysts warn that Al-Shabab could use the village as a staging ground for attacks on nearby district capitals such as Matabaan, Guriceel, and Ceelbuur. Some warn that the ongoing transition from ATMIS to the African Union Support and Stabilization Mission in Somalia (AUSSOM) may be contributing to operational gaps, especially in rural frontlines. Despite increased U.S. airstrikes and the involvement of regional allies such as Uganda and Turkey, Al-Shabab continues to exploit these gaps, regrouping and launching coordinated attacks across the central corridor.
As the federal government prepares for the next phase of operations, pressure is mounting to reassess its coordination with regional militias and international partners. The Ministry of Defence has not yet commented on the incident.
