Somali forces regain control of Bal'ad after deadly Al-Shabaab attack

Somali government forces regained control of Bal'ad on Thursday after repelling a deadly pre-dawn attack by Al-Shabaab militants, authorities said.

The attack began when Al-Shabaab fighters detonated a series of coordinated roadside bombs targeting military positions on the town's outskirts before launching a full-scale assault. The militants briefly seized control of some areas before Somali forces, backed by reinforcements, counterattacked and expelled them.

Government officials said the army inflicted heavy casualties on the militants. "The Somali National Army delivered a decisive blow to the Kharijite terrorists who attacked Balcad before dawn," the federal government said in a statement, using a term to describe Islamist extremist groups.

Witnesses reported that at least dozens of militants were killed in the fighting, with their bodies strewn across the farmlands surrounding Bal'ad. Security officials said they are assessing government and civilian casualties, though no official figures were immediately available.

The assault on Bal'ad follows a string of Al-Shabaab attacks in Middle Shabelle in recent weeks as the extremist group continues its insurgency despite an ongoing military offensive aimed at dismantling its strongholds.

Al-Shabaab, an al-Qaida-linked militant group, has waged a violent insurgency in Somalia for over 15 years, seeking to overthrow the internationally recognized government.