Setback for Somali Forces as Alshabab Militants Retake Tardo, a Key Ma’awisley Stronghold.

Al-Shabaab militants have seized control of Tardo, a strategically significant village in Somalia’s Hiiraan region, following the reported withdrawal of local security forces overnight. The village, once a key command post for Somali government-allied Ma’awisley militia, fell without resistance early Sunday afternoon .

According to local residents and security sources, Al-Shabaab fighters entered Tardo unopposed, raised their flag over the town, and have since been consolidating their control. The Somali government has not yet released an official statement regarding the incident.

Tardo is located approximately 60 kilometers from Buulaburde and 45 kilometers from Jalalaqsi, in a corridor east of the Shabelle River that was largely cleared of militants in a major community-led offensive in mid-2022. That campaign saw Ma’awisley militias—clan-based paramilitary forces allied with the government—liberate several settlements from Al-Shabaab control, including Moqokori, which also fell back to the militants just last week.

The recapture of Tardo marks another major symbolic and tactical setback for government-aligned forces in Hiiraan. The town was among the first flashpoints of the anti-Al-Shabaab uprising that began nearly three years ago and served as a launchpad for military operations to secure the eastern bank of the Shabelle River.

Heavy troop movements have been observed in Mahaas town, a nearby government stronghold, with reinforcements reportedly arriving from the neighboring Galgaduud region. However, local elders and military commanders have yet to issue statements on any planned counter-offensive to retake Tardo.

The latest developments highlight a concerning reversal in security gains made in central Somalia and raise fresh questions about the government’s capacity to hold liberated areas amid renewed Al-Shabaab offensives.

Observers warn that unless reinforced quickly, other vulnerable areas across Hiiraan could also fall to the group, undermining months of community-driven progress.

Mustaqbal