Somalia Repels Al-Shabaab Attacks, Killing Over 130 Militants
Somalia announced on Thursday that its army, along with allied clan militias, repelled coordinated attacks on villages carried out by the armed group Al-Shabaab in the south of the country, resulting in the deaths of more than 130 attackers.
Al-Shabaab, which is linked to Al-Qaeda, has been waging an insurgency in southern and central Somalia since 2007, causing thousands of deaths through a campaign that includes deadly bombings in the capital, Mogadishu.
According to two local residents and a spokesperson for the Ministry of Defense, Al-Shabaab attacked four villages in Middle Shabelle on Thursday morning using explosive-laden vehicles. The group briefly seized two of the villages before being repelled in intense fighting.
The Ministry of Information stated: “The armed forces, in collaboration with local resistance fighters, repelled an attack by the Khawarij militias… The military operations resulted in the deaths of more than 130 militants.”
Noor Ibrahim, an elder in the village of Ali Ahmed, said the militants attacked from multiple directions using mortar shells, car bombs, and gunfire. He added that he saw the bodies of about 20 attackers, as well as seven soldiers and clan fighters.
Al-Shabaab frequently launches attacks on military positions and government targets in its effort to overthrow the Somali government and establish its own rule based on its strict interpretation of Islamic law.
