section_path: Background/Major offensives in southern Somalia
section_name: Major offensives in southern Somalia
paragraph_text: Major offensives in southern Somalia
  
  On 20 February 2025, al-Shabaab started a new offensive in Hirshabelle State called "Operation Ramadan" against the Somali National Army, African Union Mission in Somalia forces, and allied Ma'awisley clan militias (Somali: Macawiisleey). The militant group's objective was to regain territory lost in the 2022 ground offensive led by the Federal Government and African Union, particularly strategic towns and supply routes, and to take control of Somalia's capital Mogadishu.
  
  Within the first day of the offensive, al-Shabaab took over more than 15 towns and villages in the regions of Middle Shabelle, Hiran, and Lower Shabelle. The state capital Jowhar was later surrounded by al-Shabaab fighters, and Hirshabelle president Ali Abdullahi Hussein fled the city. Opposition media compared the event to Afghan president Ashraf Ghani 's escape from Kabul when it fell to the Taliban.
  
  On 7 March 2025, the American Embassy in Mogadishu issued an alert cautioning of potential military operations by al-Shabaab, prompting several nations to cancel flights to Aden Adde International Airport. In a speech on 8 March 2025, Mohamud stated that America was disseminating "fake alerts", and such warnings were intended to destabilize his administration. Mohamud argued that these alerts undermined Somalia's sovereignty and urged the nation to focus on self-reliance rather than depending on foreign support.