As fighting turns against al-Shabaab across southern Somalia, the group has attempted to move further north, but has encountered fierce resistance as it entered the autonomous state of Galmudug, where state President Galaud has vowed to see them wiped out.
According to reports from Galmudugi officials, four days of fighting in the region have left at least 115 al-Shabaab fighters killed, and another 110 captured by security forces. Still more Shabaab forces fled into rural areas.
Indications are that in the latter days, the fighting moved further and further north, eventually settling on the border between Galmudug and the neighboring autonomous of Puntland, which may mean that the problem of Shabaab’s shifting presence may soon be Puntland’s problem.
Al-Shabaab has so far proven able to absorb such major losses and rebound, and has been fighting against tens of thousands of African Union troops in southern Somalia for years.