Somali army inflicts heavy losses on Al-Shabab in Bakool

The Somali army, with members of the extremist Al-Shabab militia linked to the terrorist organization Al-Qaeda, inflicted heavy losses on its ranks following armed confrontations between them in the Yad region of Bakool province, while three Somali soldiers were killed in an explosion that occurred on Saturday morning in the city of Boulobardi in Hiran region in Hirshabele State.
The mayor of Yad in Bakool Governorate, Abdul Salam Dawani Omar, explained that the confrontations also resulted in the killing of two soldiers of the army and dozens of dead and wounded civilians, as extremist militias bombed residential neighborhoods in the area that was suffering from a drought.
He stressed that the Somali army valiantly responded to the attack launched by Al-Shabab militia members on the municipality located on the border with Ethiopia.
The mayor of Yade explained that during the confrontations, members of the Al-Shabab militia crossed the Ethiopian border, where they faced fierce resistance from the Somali region police forces in Ethiopian territory.
On the other hand, three Somali soldiers were killed in an explosion that occurred on Saturday morning in the city of Bolobardi in Hiran region in Hirshabele State.
Eyewitnesses who spoke to the media confirmed that the attack, for which no party has yet taken responsibility, also wounded a government soldier.
Witnesses added that the explosion was caused by a landmine targeting a checkpoint belonging to the Somali forces on the outskirts of the city located in Hiran province, central Somalia.

(agencies)