Somali army regains control of ambushed border town

Soldiers belonging to the Burundian contingent of the African Union Mission prepare to march on the Al-Shabab held town of Ragaele, Somalia on 30 September 2014 [AMISOM]

The Somali army has regained control of a town attacked by Al-Shabaab fighters yesterday, Reuters reported.

Somali forces have regained the Balad Hawo town, which left 30 Somali soldiers killed according to Al-Shabaab’s spokesman, Abdiasis Abu Musab. Somali military officials claim ten soldiers and seven Al-Shabaab fighters were killed in the attack. The death toll on both sides could rise.

The attack was initiated with a suicide car bomb, followed by a fierce gun battle in the early hours of the morning.

Read: Why did the US target Somali civilians hiding under banana trees?

Al-Shabaab regularly conducts suicide operations using cars and plants improvised explosive devices across Somalia. The group aims to implement a strict version of Islamic law across Somalia and take over control from the government.

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