In southern Somalia on Monday, intense fighting erupted as Al-Shabaab militants attempted to capture three army bases, resulting in significant casualties, according to reports from both officials and the insurgent group.
According to a local security official, government forces successfully repelled the attacks and safely defused four car bombs approximately 80 km (50 miles) southwest of the port city of Kismayo in Jubbaland state.
Social media videos released by Jubbaland officials revealed at least 35 bodies, wearing a combination of military gear, located near the village of Buulo-Xaaji.
In a statement released by the state-owned Somalia National News Agency (SONNA), the government expressed gratitude to the federal and Jubbaland forces for eliminating over 80 al Shabaab fighters and seizing their weapons.
There are often significant discrepancies between the government and al Shabaab regarding casualty figures.
Military official Farah Hussein reported that five soldiers were killed.
This pattern of conflicting reports on casualties continues, with both sides presenting differing accounts. Farah Hussein confirmed that five soldiers lost their lives.
“We received information about al Shabaab’s advance, so we abandoned the three bases and then surrounded their fighters, resulting in dozens of casualties,” Hussein told Reuters. “I personally counted 30 dead al-Shabaab fighters and saw even more bodies ahead of me.”
Al Shabaab asserted on a linked radio station that it had captured the bases and killed dozens of soldiers in a fierce confrontation.
The region near the Kenyan border, a vital stronghold for al Shabaab, was seized by government forces in a strategic manoeuvre three months ago.
Since 2007, the Qaeda-affiliated group has been waging a violent campaign to impose a stringent version of Islamic law across Somalia, often targeting both military and civilian sites.
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