Al-Shabaab attack military base near Mogadishu

Al-Qaeda aligned militants of Al-Shabaab, Somalia [World Defence Forum/Facebook]

Fighters from Al-Shabaab launched an attack on a military base near Somalia’s capital, Mogadishu, yesterday, Garowe Online reported.

The attack took place in Hawo Abdi, an area leading to the main road linking Mogadishu. Local residents heard gun fire and the use of explosive weaponry.

There are no reports on civilian casualties or combatant deaths.

The Information Minister, Abdirahman Yarisow, confirmed that 19 Al-Shabaab fighters were arrested in a week-long operation in Afgooye, southwestern Lower Shabelle Region. Al-Shabaab’s expert bomb maker was arrested in the operations, Somali Press Online reported.

Al-Shabaab pledged allegiance to Al-Qaeda in 2012, and frequently conducts military operations in densely populated civilian areas. The group aims to dislodge the Somali government and apply a strict interpretation of Islamic law across the country.

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