The Somali army and allied fighters have taken control today, Friday, of the town of Ayl Būr, the main stronghold of al-Shabaab in the central region of the country, in a significant achievement for the government's campaign against the al-Qaeda-linked group. The capture of Ayl Būr in the Galmudug state marks one of the largest victories in the assault launched by the government and its allied forces a year ago. The campaign has expelled al-Shabaab from large areas of land in central Somalia, but the group has continued to carry out major attacks. Many analysts and even some participants in the assault claim that the government's pledges to eradicate the group are unrealistic.
Al-Shabaab has conducted deadly attacks from Ayl Būr across the region for the past 16 years. Somali army commander Ibrahim Sheikh Mohamud stated in a speech broadcast live on Facebook, "Victory belongs to the Somalis. The area of Ayl Būr, the main stronghold of the youth, has fallen into the hands of the Somali forces, and the forces are now inside the town." He added, "Control of Ayl Būr will completely stop the misery caused by al-Shabaab. Peace and prosperity will prevail."
Success on the battlefield will be seen as a victory for President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, who has promised to eradicate al-Shabaab in the next five months. However, the government has faced challenges in the past in retaining control over areas seized or halting the deadly bombings carried out by the group. The government has promised a second phase of the offensive to pursue al-Shabaab in southern Somalia, the group's traditional stronghold, but has not specified when that phase will begin.
