UPDATES THROUGHOUT, REVISES NUMBER OF CASUALTIES, CHANGES HEADLINE, DECK
By Magdalene Mukami
MOGADISHU, Somalia (AA) – The Somali National Army (SNA) on Sunday morning repulsed an al-Shabaab attack in El-Salini area in Lower Shabelle region, killing 13 militants.
Speaking to the media, Somali military official Mohamed Abdi denied claims by the al-Qaeda-affiliated al-Shabaab militant group which said they had killed 23 soldiers during their dawn attack.
“We lost only five soldiers, “Abdi told the media.
Al-Shabaab spokesman Abdi Aziz Abu Musab said through their propaganda Radio Andalus that they had killed 23 soldiers during the dawn attack.
Earlier, Adow Moalim Mohamed, Somali National Army captain, told Anadolu Agency over the phone that al-Shabaab attacked the army base in El-Saliini, killing 8 soldiers and wounding several others.