At least 12 soldiers have been killed after Islamist al-Shabab militant attacked a government base in Rage Celle district, of Somalia’s Lower Shabelle region.
The al-Qaeda-linked militants also attacked with mortars an African Union troop base in the area, which is 180km north of the capital, Mogadishu, to stop reinforcements being sent to help the government soldiers.
Al Shabaab, which wants to topple a Western-backed government in Mogadishu, has in the past stepped up the number of raids during the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan, which began in mid-June and ends this week.
Captain Nur Olow, a military officer from Rage Ceele, in Middle Shabelle region in central Somalia, said two al Shabaab fighters were killed during the raid.
“Al Shabaab attacked us early in the morning – we lost four soldiers but repulsed them,” Olow said.
Al Shabaab’s military operations spokesman, Sheikh Abdiasis Abu Musab, told Reuters his fighters had killed a dozen soldiers in the raid.
“We briefly seized the base and killed 12 soldiers and took their guns. We also took all the weapons and ammunition in the base,” he said.
In the past, al Shabaab has exaggerated the number of soldiers it has killed, while officials have played down losses.
Meanwhile ,the top United Nations official in Somalia has ondemned “in the strongest terms” a series of deadly terrorist attacks against an African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) base and two hotels in the country capital of Mogadishu which resulted in numerous casualties.
The attacks committed by the Islamist extremist group Al-Shabaab – reportedly caused the death and injuries of civilians, members of the security forces, AMISOM troops and Government officials and come as the Muslim world celebrates its holy month of Ramadan.
