Somalia’s South West State forces have engaged in heavy gunfire with Al Shabab militants near Baidoa town in the Bay region, about 250km from Mogadishu.
The fighting erupted early Tuesday when Al Shabab fighters attacked an army base in the Burjeedka area near Baidoa, sparking a fierce confrontation.
The Somali military said the regional forces repelled the attack and killed at least 18 militants, including foreign jihadists aligned with Al Shabab.
Regional authorities transported the militants’ bodies to Baidoa, where they were paraded and seen by hundreds of residents.
Many locals chanted anti-Al Shabab slogans in solidarity with the state forces, who were backed by the Somali National Army (SNA).
President Abdiaziz Mohamed Laftagareen said his troops achieved major victories by defeating Al Shabab in Tuesday’s battle.
He also extended condolences for the soldiers who were killed during the combat and vowed to continue operations against Al Shabab.
This comes a day after Al Shabab re-captured Aden Yabal, one of the largest military bases in the Middle Shabelle region.
Aden Yabal’s fall is a major blow, as the SNA had regained control of the town—about 245 km north of Mogadishu—in December 2022.
The group has also maintained control of Aborey after a week-long battle and has captured Yasoman, both in the Hiran region.
Since last month, Al Shabab has escalated pre-dawn attacks in efforts to reclaim cities it previously lost in Middle Shabelle and Hiran.
Driven out of Mogadishu in 2011, the al-Qaeda-linked group continues to carry out deadly attacks in south and central Somalia.
