Hiiraan Online
Tuesday February 23, 2016
MOGADISHU (HOL) – Dozens of soldiers and militants were feared dead in a fierce fighting between the African Union forces and fighters from the Al-Qaeda lined Al Shabab group which eruped in a town in southern Somalia, residents said Monday.
The clashes – said to involve heavy artillery fire and tanks have started in Lego, a town which lies 130 Km North-West of Mogadishu after Al Shabab fighters ambushed an Ethiopian army convoy travelling between the town and the nearby Belidogle airstrip.
Ethiopian troops are parts of the strong 2200-strong African Union force in Somalia.
The Al Shabab group which is waging a deadly guerrilla warfare against the African Union forces and Somali government has claimed the responsibility for the attack, saying it ‘destroyed’ a number of army vehicles in the ongoing fighting.
However, residents reported that the fighting which started on Monday morning has subsided on the evening, with two forces are reportedly receiving reinforcements.
African Union officials could not immediately be reached for comment.
The latest assault shows that the militants group is retaining capability to move across the country as parts of its deadly insurgency aimed at recapturing the areas it lost to the allied forces in the past few years and restricting military movements across the country.
In recent months, the group’s fighters have carried out several complex attacks on military bases including three deadly attacks that saw militants overrun African Union forces’ bases in Somalia since late last year.
Dozens of Kenyan military soldiers were killed in an attack on El-Ade military camp, southwestern Somalia on January, with fighters also looted military vehicles and arms during the attack. Al Shabab also claimed it captured 12 soldiers in the attack.
Kenyan government declined to give the causality figures from the attack.
Despite the challenges, Somalia’s prime minister has vowed in September last year that his government would push militants out of the areas still under their control in 2016, a year Somalia proposed to hold presidential elections.