Saturday August 17, 2024
Mogadishu (HOL) — Somali government forces successfully
repelled an al-Shabab attack on an army base just outside Mogadishu on Friday
night, according to security sources.
The assault occurred in Elasha Biyaha, approximately 15
kilometers south of the capital, and was followed by intense fighting between
the militants and government troops. Both sides reportedly suffered casualties,
though the exact numbers remain unclear.
By Saturday morning, the situation in Elasha Biyaha had
stabilized, with government forces conducting security operations in the
surrounding neighborhoods to ensure the area was secure.
The latest attack comes just weeks after al-Shabab launched
assaults on several military bases in the Jubbaland and Galmudug states. In
those encounters, Somali forces reportedly inflicted heavy casualties on the
militant group.
Al-Shabab, an al-Qaeda-linked extremist group, has been
waging an insurgency against the Somali government for over a decade,
frequently targeting military installations and civilian populations in their
campaign to impose a strict interpretation of Islamic law across the country.