MOGADISHU – Heavily armed militants of Al Shabaab attacked on military base in Barire town lies about 50km southwest of Mogadishu.
The attack started with mortar rounds landed into the army base, followed by gun battle between Somali government troops and Al Shabaab fighters.
No deaths and injuries reported as the fighting flared up on Sunday’s evening has lasted for two hours, according local residents, who spoke to AGGM by phone.
Somali military officials were unavailable to reach on the phone for comments on the fighting in Barire town.
The armed group’s spokesman, Sheikh Abdi Aziz Abu Mus’ab says its fighters had killed at least 23 soldiers in an attack on army base in the town.
“We carried out that attack in revenge for deaths of 10 civilians, who were shot dead by US-backed forces earlier last months in the town”, Mus’ab said.
The homegrown extremist group of Al Shabaab has lost some of its territory under pressure from the African Union force, which numbers more than 20,000, and from Somalia’s security forces.
But al-Shabab continues to carry out deadly attacks in the capital and elsewhere.
In late September, at least 23 people were killed and dozens injured after extremist fighters stormed army base in Barire town, some 50km southwest of Mogadishu.
