Sunday October 24, 2021
Mogadishu (HOL) - Somali government forces are reportedly in control of Guriel town on Sunday morning, according to a government military source.
A high-level government official told HOL that Galmudug security forces bolstered by federal troops are in firm control of the city.
He dismissed reports that Ahlu Sunna Waljama'a (ASWJ) fighters mounted a successful counterattack to recapture the town as rumours.
The source said that ASWJ fighters retreated to a former college building and have contacted government officials for negotiations, adding that the government was determined to capture all the fighters.
At least 20 people were killed and another 40 wounded following clashes between regional Galmudug forces backed by the Somali National Army (SNA) and the Sufi paramilitary group ASWJ.
Among the dead was Major Abdilatif Fayfle, a commander in the US-trained Danab force.
More to follow