Harardhere, Somalia — Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud paid visits to Harardhere town in the Mudug area and El-dher district in the Galgadud region on Monday, joined by the Galmudug leader, federal legislators, and the Minister of Defense.

According to government sources, the delegation's visits to these two critical sites were part of the escalating military operations in central Somalia.

President Mohamud met with elders and other community members to discuss military operations and the recapture of remaining al-Shabab-controlled territories.

On March 22, UNHCR reported that more than 7,000 people had been displaced in the central Galmudug district in just four days.

The displacement follows the withdrawal of Somali military forces from numerous locations beginning March 10, 2024, resulting in a power vacuum that led to al-Shabab recapture.

Last year, the Somali government launched military operations to retake several critical districts in Galmudug, including Ba'adweyn, Amara, Aad, and Hiinlabi, southern Mudug.