Somali army repulses Al-Shabaab attack

HUDUR, Somalia - The Somali National Army [SNA] repulsed the Al-Shabaab attack on Saturday morning, officials said, in the latest crackdown against the militants, who control large swathes of rural central and southern Somalia.

According to senior military sources, the officers successfully repulsed an attack waged by the Al-Qaeda linked group in Hudur, the regional capital of Bakool region in Somalia after hours of a fierce gunfight.

The town is guarded by Ethiopian National Defense Forces [ENDF] who serve in the African Union Mission in Somalia [AMISOM]. It's not clear if the Ethiopian troops took part in responding to the Al-Shabaab attack but they closely work with SNA soldiers.

A military official from Sector 60 said five militants were killed and six others critically injured. The SNA soldiers and their partners did not suffer any casualties, the official added without giving many details.

The military also went on to display bodies of the militants in the town as they appreciated residents for being active in the war against Al-Shabaab militants. They asked locals to work closely with officials.

For almost 14 years, Somalia's federal government has been working with allied in the fight against Al-Shabaab militants. However, the military has suffered a series of setbacks including losing key battles against the militants.

But there have also been significant gains by the government that has managed to liberate several towns within the country. Al-Shabaab still remains a threat to the people of Somalia according to the US State Department, which works closely with SNA troops.

GAROWE ONLINE