A young boy leads hard-line Islamist al-Shabab fighters as they conduct military exercises in northern Mogadishu’s Suqaholaha neighborhood, Somalia.
FILE – A young boy leads hard-line Islamist al-Shabab fighters as they conduct military exercises in northern Mogadishu’s Suqaholaha neighborhood, Somalia.
Two days of clashes between al-Shabab and regional forces in southwestern Somalia have killed at least 15 people, officials said.
The fighting took place outside Moragabey village in the Bakool region. Forces of the Bakool government and surrounding regions have recently stepped up military operations to open roads blocked by al-Shabab.
Intermittent clashes continued Tuesday after al-Shabab attacked a base used by regional government forces Monday, according to officials. Sources close to the Somali military told VOA that the dead include eight soldiers and seven al-Shabab militants.
Pro-al-Shabab media reported the village was captured by their fighters Monday, but the mayor of the nearby town of Huddur, Mohamed Moallim Ahmed, and residents disputed the claim.