Somalia: Dozens killed in battle to retake military base from Al-Shabab
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Staff reporter Garowe Online
- Posted On 23-12-2019, 06:08PM
BAIDOA, Somalia – Scores of people were killed in fierce fighting between Somali National Army [SNA] forces and the Al-Qaeda-linked militant group Al-Shabaab on Monday, Garowe Online reports.
Somali State Media reported that SNA troops killed 20 militants and wounded 30 others during a battle to regain control of Goofgaduud near Baidoa city, about 250 km (160 miles) northwest of Mogadishu.
“Somali government troops recaptured Goofgaduud Burey, 30km west of Baidoa after Al-Shabaab briefly took control of the village on Monday morning,” said a local resident speaking to Garowe Online by phone.
Al-Shabaab has claimed victory in the fierce combat, saying its fighters have killed eleven SNA members, including the deputy commander of the military base and seized a huge cache of weapons.
The group’s casualty figures and those announced by officials often differ. The strategic village became an area where the militants and government soldiers frequently fight for its control.
The latest outbreak of fighting has compounded an already desperate humanitarian situation in a country where, according to the UN, millions of people need some kind of assistance after flash floods.
GAROWE ONLINE
