Dozens of Somali soldiers killed in fighting in Buurhakaba
By the AFREEQUE newsroom, based on Sowetan
Dozens of Somali soldiers were reportedly killed in clashes with Al-Shabaab in the south of the country, according to two military personnel quoted by Reuters. Somalia’s Defence Ministry, meanwhile, announced the deaths of about 75 group fighters and reported 56 wounded in the Jameeco area of Buurhakaba district.
Dozens of Somali soldiers were killed in fighting with Al-Shabaab insurgents in the Jameeco area of Buurhakaba district, two military personnel told Reuters. Somalia’s Defence Ministry, for its part, announced that about 75 fighters had been killed and said 56 others were wounded, without giving a death toll for the army.
The two soldiers said the insurgents had used vehicles packed with explosives against the national army. Ahmed, a soldier quoted by Reuters, said he had helped transport 40 dead soldiers and more than 100 wounded to hospitals in Mogadishu. Another soldier, Farah, estimated that the explosions had destroyed five military vehicles.
The Defence Ministry said the attack had damaged several army vehicles. The fighting took place after more than 100 military vehicles were sent to Buurhakaba, as Somali authorities announced on 25 October as part of a reinforcement of the military presence.
