Tuesday May 30, 2023
Mogadishu (HOL) - Somali government killed at least 30 al Shabab militants in a foiled attack on a military base in central Somalia on Tuesday morning, the government said.
The Ministry of Information, Culture, and Tourism said in a press release that the Somali National Army (SNA), supported by the local clan militia forces, foiled the attack in the Masagawa area of the Galgaduud region. According to the statement, the government forces received a tip about an imminent al-Shabaab attack and were well-prepared to counter it.
The ministry added that the government forces seized three vehicles belonging to al-Shabaab, which the group intended to use for the attack.
Tuesday’s attack comes a few days after the group launched a deadly attack on an African Union military base in the Lower Shabelle region of Somalia, with both sides reportedly suffering heavy casualties.
The militant fighters attacked a forward operating base in Buulo Mareer, about 120 kilometers southwest of Mogadishu, the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS) said in a statement.
The Islamist fighters used Vehicle Borne Improvised Explosive Devices and suicide bombers, according to the African Union.
Somalia has been grappling with increasing insecurity for years, with al-Shabaab being one of the main threats in the Horn of Africa country.
Since 2007, the terrorist group has waged a deadly campaign against the Somali government and international forces.