Military Chief Visits Baidoa to Intensify Al-Shabaab Offensive

BAIDOA: The Commander of the Somali National Army (SNA), Brigadier General Ibrahim Mohamed Mahmoud, has arrived in the southwestern city of Baidoa to accelerate military operations against Al‑Shabaab and strengthen security across South West State. The visit, reported on Wednesday, comes as Somali forces intensify offensives against the militant group while preparing for the gradual drawdown of foreign peacekeeping troops.

Military officials said the SNA chief’s visit focused on coordinating ongoing offensives and reinforcing security in areas considered strategically important in the fight against Al‑Shabaab. Baidoa serves as the administrative capital of South West State and remains a key military and logistical hub for government operations targeting the group in southern Somalia. General Mahmoud recently issued rank promotions to troops who successfully reopened the vital Mogadishu‑Baidoa road, which had been under militant blockade since 2009.

Security Coordination and Stabilization Efforts

The visit comes as Somali national forces, backed by local militias and international partners, continue operations aimed at retaking territory from Al‑Shabaab, which still controls parts of rural southern and central Somalia despite sustained military pressure in recent years. The federal government has intensified efforts to expand offensives against the group following renewed pledges by President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud to weaken Al‑Shabaab and transfer greater security responsibilities to Somali forces. The president has maintained that security remains the government’s top priority as the country pursues its democratic transition.

Security operations in South West State have become increasingly important as authorities seek to secure supply routes, stabilize liberated areas, and prevent militant attacks on major towns including Baidoa and Mogadishu. The SNA chief’s visit is also expected to strengthen coordination between federal forces and regional security authorities as Somalia prepares for the gradual drawdown of foreign peacekeeping troops under the African Union Support and Stabilization Mission in Somalia (AUSSOM). Somalia’s military leadership and the African Union mission have agreed to expedite the implementation of the Security Transition Plan, ensuring that the reduction of AU forces occurs without creating vulnerabilities that insurgents could exploit.

Military Momentum in Southern Somalia

General Mahmoud’s trip follows a series of high‑level military engagements in Baidoa. Defence Minister Ahmed Moallim Fiqi and the SNA chief previously concluded a comprehensive tour of multiple forward operating bases in Baidoa to assess troop readiness and operational capabilities. Speaker of the House of the People, Sheikh Adan Mohamed Nur (Madoobe), has also convened strategic meetings with SNA commanders in Baidoa to evaluate security conditions and bolster stabilization initiatives following the recent political transition in South West State.

The intensified military focus on South West State has yielded results. Somali National Army forces, operating with close‑air and intelligence support from international partners, recently eliminated 12 Al‑Shabaab militants during a coordinated security operation in the Daynuney area of southwestern Somalia. Meanwhile, the federal government has maintained financial pressure on the group. Intelligence assessments estimate that Al‑Shabaab’s total revenue for 2025 dropped to below $80 million, its lowest level in seven years, following sustained sanctions and financial disruption campaigns.

With the SNA commander now on the ground in Baidoa, Somali forces are expected to further intensify operations in the coming weeks, focusing on clearing remaining militant strongholds in the Bay and Bakool regions and securing the broader South West State ahead of the next phase of the security transition.