Wednesday February 3, 2021
FILE
Mogadishu (HOL) - At least one soldier was killed in an overnight ambush by suspected Al-Shabaab militants on a government checkpoint in Balcad district in Middle Shabelle, just 36 km northeast of Somalia's capital Mogadishu.
Residents in the area told the media that Al-Shabaab fighters attacked a government checkpoint last night in the district's northern part.
The attack happened in the Yalow-Farhan area. The area saw a similar attack by Al-Shabab militants last month that led to civilians and government soldiers' deaths.
Balcad and its environs are said to be strongholds of Al-Shabaab militants who often carry out various attacks on government vehicles travelling on the road between Mogadishu and Jowhar, especially between Balcad and Qalimoow districts in the Middle Shabelle region.