By Abdi Sheikh
Saturday September 3, 2022
Al Shabaab militants killed at least 18 civilians and
destroyed trucks laden with relief food in an overnight attack in Somalia's
central region, residents and a state news agency said on Saturday.
The Islamist group launched the attack in the Hiran area in
the semi-autonomous state of Hirshabelle in central Somalia. The trucks were
transporting food supplies from Baladweyne city to Mahas town, residents said.
"Al Shabaab killed 18 civilians and burnt...several
trucks of relief food heading to Mahas town last night," Farah Aden, a
local elder told Reuters by phone.
State news agency Sonna reported that al Shabaab fighters
had burnt trucks carrying relief food to Mahas and "killed most of the
people on board the vehicles."
The al Qaeda-linked Islamist group has been battling
Somalia's central government for more than a decade. It wants to establish its
own rule based on a strict interpretation of Islamic sharia law.
The group frequently launches bombings, gun assaults and
other attacks on both military and civilian targets.
Last month more than 20 people were killed in an attack in
which al Shabaab fighters stormed the Hayat Hotel in Mogadishu, triggering a
30-hour battle as government troops sought to end the siege and free hostages.
Aden said armed residents had chased the insurgents from the
area last week but said the government had not sent troops to help prevent the
fighters from returning.
"Al Shabaab is doing all these things in order to make
us surrender. But we shall never surrender to al Shabaab as long as there is
soul in us. Government forces have not reached the scene yet," Aden said.