Clashes erupt in southern Somalia as Al Shabaab attacks military bases

Heavy fighting broke out on Somalia’s southern border on Monday as al-Shabaab militants attempted to capture three military bases, killing dozens of fighters, officials and the insurgent group said.

A local security source said government forces successfully defended the bases and defused four car bombs, about 80 km (50 miles) southwest of Kismayo, a port city in Jubbaland state.

Videos shared on social media by Jubbaland officials showed at least 35 bodies dressed in military fatigues near the village of Buulo-Xaaji.

A statement from the state-run Somalia National News Agency (SONNA) said: “We thank the federal and Jubbaland forces who killed more than 80 al-Shabaab fighters and seized their weapons.”

Discrepancies between government and al-Shabaab casualty reports are common. Farah Hussein, a military official, reported that five soldiers were killed.

“We received information that al-Shabaab was coming, we left the three bases and then surrounded their fighters, killing dozens of them. I counted 30 dead from al-Shabaab, and I saw more bodies in front of me,” Hussein said.

Conversely, al Shabaab claimed on the radio station that it had successfully overrun the bases and killed several soldiers. The region, located near the border with Kenya and traditionally known as al Shabaab’s stronghold, had been captured by government forces three months earlier.

Al Shabaab, an organization with ties to Al Qaeda, has been seeking to enforce a strict form of Islamic law in Somalia since 2007.

Mbamalu Nancy

Follow us on: