MOGADISHU, Somalia – A heavy fighting broke out between Somali special forces backed by US and Al Shabaab militants in south of the capital, Mogadishu.
The clash started with a roadside bomb explosion near Afgoye town, some 30km south of Mogadishu, and then militants carried out an ambush attack on a military vehicle with the special forces, a witness said.
He says heavy weaponry could be heard during the skirmish.
Somali MP Abdirisak Mohamed says the fighting erupted after al Shabaab ambushed army forces in Bululu area, about 5km away from the town.
He says there have been civilian casualties.
Hon. Mohamed says he was told that two soldiers were slightly injured and were taken into Mogadishu.
He added that the army forces repulsed the attack, forcing the militants to retreat.
There was no word from Somali army or Al Shabaab over the latest fighting.
The group was pushed out of Mogadishu capital in 2011 by Somali army troops and 22,000-strong African Union force in Somalia.
The rebel group also lost most of their strongholds, but it still controls large rural areas and remains the key threat to peace in Somalia.
The al Qaeda linked group has been fighting for over ten years to overthrow the internationally- backed government in Somalia.
