MOGADISHU – At least two African Union soldiers from Ethiopia were killed in a roadside bomb explosion near Baidoa town, about 250 km southwest of Mogadishu.
The blast — caused by a landmine — hit one of the military convoys with Ethiopian peacekeepers, leaving two dead, a witness said.
He said several soldiers were also wounded in the explosion. The troops reportedly cordoned off the blast scene and carried out an operation.
The Al-Shabaab group claimed responsibility for the bomb attack, saying it inflicted heavy casualties on Ethiopian soldiers.
The al-Qaeda-linked group said the attack took place as they had planned. The group did not provide further details on the blast.
Neither the Ethiopian military nor the African Union mission has commented on the claims made by the militant group.
The attack came just days after local authorities had beefed up overall security in Baidoa town amid fears of ambush raids by Al-Shabaab.
Last month, Al-Shabaab militants attacked an army base in the Burjeed area near Baidoa and suffered heavy losses.
Their bodies were later brought to Baidoa, where hundreds of local residents gathered to witness the aftermath.
Driven out of Mogadishu in 2011, the al-Qaeda-linked group continues to carry out deadly attacks.
For over a decade, the militant group has fought to impose a hardline interpretation of Sharia law in Somalia.
Al-Shabaab still controls large swaths of southern and central Somalia.
