Ceeldheer, Somalia — Somalia's Army Chief of the Ground Forces, Brigadier General Sahal Abdullahi Omar, paid a high-level visit to the frontline town of Ceeldheer in the central Galgaduud region, in a push to accelerate ongoing military operations against the Al-Qaeda-linked militant group Al-Shabaab.

During the visit, the commander toured forward military positions held by the Somali National Army (SNA) and held closed-door meetings with field commanders leading the anti-Al-Shabaab campaign in the area.

The Discussions focused on operational progress, current challenges, and logistics needs of the forces engaged in the offensive.

General Sahal commended the troops for their recent territorial gains and praised their bravery in the fight against the extremist group.

He urged them to intensify operations and maintain high alert as the government pushes ahead with its second phase of the military campaign aimed at dislodging Al-Shabaab from its remaining strongholds.

The visit comes as joint Somali and regional forces continue to wage a broad offensive across central Somalia, with authorities vowing to root out the group from all rural areas it still controls.