Mogadishu – At least 70 people died in clashes between the Somali army and Al-Shabaab militants on Sunday. The clashes erupted after Al-Shabaab attacked a military base in Galmudug province. The army reportedly killed more than 40 militants. As per the claims, Al-Shabaab has killed 34 soldiers. A few days ago, the head of the US Africa Command, General Stephen J. Townsend, had issued a stern warning that terrorism is rising in Africa.
On Sunday, Al-Shabaab launched a deadly attack on a military base in the central Somali province of Galmudug. Nearly 100 terrorists had infiltrated the town of Visil in Galmudug, local sources said. The Al-Shabaab militants detonated two suicide car bombs near a military base and then opened fire on the base. Local armed groups, including the Somali army, responded to Al-Shabaab’s attack.
The fighting lasted for more than an hour, said Major Mohammed Awale, a military official. Thirteen civilians, including seventeen army personnel, were killed during the clashes. More than 30 people were reported injured. Al-Shabaab claimed that 34 soldiers had been killed in the attack. The government says more than 40 militants have been killed in retaliation by the Somali army and local armed groups.
Therefore, against this backdrop, the counter-attack launched by the Somali army on Sunday is noteworthy. Two months ago, Al-Shabaab captured the town of Badweyn in an attack in Galmudug province. The army and local security forces had to withdraw during the clashes. Hours after the incident, 21 Al-Shabaab militants were executed in Somalia‘s Puntland province.
Puntland is an autonomous province of Somalia, and the local administration and security forces have launched a large-scale operation against Al-Shabaab. The death sentence handed down on Sunday is said to be part of that. Al-Shabaab is an organisation affiliated with the terrorist organisation Al-Qaeda, trying to control Somalia for more than ten years. Although the United States and the African Union have provided assistance to Somalia in its fight against Al-Shabaab, the new attacks show that Al-Shabaab’s influence has not been eliminated yet.
