Somalia military regains base after Al-Shabaab attack

MOGADISHU, Somalia - The Somali National Army [SNA] regained control of a military base in southern Somalia, following Al-Shabaab's morning raid, which comes at the time the country is fighting the Al-Qaida-linked group across all fronts with the help of international partners.

In the hundreds, the militants attacked the Awadheegle military base in Lower Shabelle, leading to an intensive gunfight between government forces who worked hard to keep the militants at bay. Over 60 Al-Shabaab militants were killed during the tussle, officials said.

Awdhegle is a strategic town where government forces protect a key bridge that officials say is key to preventing the smuggling of al-Shabab vehicles carrying explosives into the capital, Mogadishu. The militants made their way into the town before Somali government soldiers repulsed them, residents said.

Mohamed Ibrahim Barre, the governor of Lower Shabelle, told VOA Somali that the militants used explosives in attacking the base.

“They attacked the town from two directions – the north and west,” he said. “The fighting lasted for almost two hours.”

A statement from the federal government of Somalia confirmed that over 60 Al-Shabaab militants were killed during the showdown. Government officials circulated video clips purportedly showing the bodies of alleged al-Shabab fighters killed in the fighting, but the number of bodies shown appeared to be smaller than the figure mentioned in the official statement.

On their part, without showing evidence as usual, the Al-Shabaab claimed to have killed 59 government troops in Awadheegle, adding that seven of its fighters were killed. Al-Shabab said Sunday’s incident was part of a “broader campaign of coordinated attacks" against government forces, and the fifth in two weeks.

For the last 10 months, Al-Shabaab militants have been on the receiving end, with coordinated operations by the government troops, US Africa Command, Africa Union Transition Mission in Somalia [ATMIS], and local militia bearing fruits in all battlegrounds, save for a few locations.

President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud has declared a total crackdown against the militants, who are struggling to keep their bases. In the last few months, thousands of Al-Shabaab fighters have been killed across Somalia, government records indicate.

GAROWE ONLINE