Somalia: Attack on military base kills 2 soldiers

By Mohammed Dhaysane

MOGADISHU, Somalia (AA) - At least two government forces were killed and two more injured when al-Shabaab militants attacked a military base in southwest Somalia on Saturday, officials said.

The attack took place in Daynunay town, some 25 kilometers (16 miles) south of Baidoa city, the administrative capital of Southwest State.

“On Saturday, fighters belonging to terrorist group al-Shabaab attacked our base in Daynunay. I can confirm that two soldiers were killed two others wounded in the attack,” Ibrahim Khayre, a military official in Baidoa, told Anadolu Agency over the phone.

Khayre said that the military responded and killed at least four al-Shabaab militants.

According to local media reports, Somali government forces have regained the control of the military base after al-Shabaab militants initially overran it.

The attack came as al-Shabaab lost significant ground in Lower Shabelle region after Somali special forces backed by African Union peacekeeping forces in Somalia (AMISOM) launched new offensive against the group in the region.

Separately, Somali National Army (SNA) said in a Twitter post that they have killed four al-Shabaab militants and wounded two others in Cel Salin, a small village located in Lower Shabelle region.

On Aug. 4, Somali special forces, including units graduated from Turkey’s largest overseas military base in Somali capital, supported by AMISOM liberated the strategic agricultural town of Awdhegle from al-Shabaab.