12 dead in clashes between troops, al-Shabaab in Somalia

At least 12 people have been killed in a series of clashes and attacks in south and central Somalia, sources said on Monday.

Eight militants and two Somali soldiers were killed in clashes in the central Galgaduud region, said military official Masuud Warsame.

• Man buries days-old grandson alive in Bauchi
• Police nab rapists, 5 govt officials over pension scam in Bauchi

“We received information that armed militants from al-Shabaab group entered the village of Miirdugulle and we sent many soldiers to flush them out,” Warsame said.

In the capital Mogadishu, two soldiers were killed after their military vehicle hit a powerful roadside bomb on Monday morning, police officer Ali Hassan said.

In yet another incident, Somali government spokesman Ismael Omar said they were still assessing the casualties after heavily armed militants engaged in fierce fighting with AU and Somali troops in the village of Qooqani in the Lower Jubba province.

Al-Shabaab claimed the attack on their Radio Andalus, claiming they killed scores of AU troops from Kenya and Somali soldiers, but no independent sources could verify the group’s claims.

Al-Shabaab, which has ties to al-Qaeda, regularly launches attacks on government officials, journalists, prominent businessmen and civilians in the volatile nation in the Horn of Africa. (dpa/NAN)