Six soldiers wounded in al-Shabaab attack in southern Somalia, official

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Six soldiers wounded in al-Shabaab attack in southern Somalia, official

KISMAYO (HORN OBSERVER) – At least six soldiers were wounded in an al-Shabaab attack on a military base in southern Somalia, Jubbaland military officials confirmed.

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KISMAYO (HORN OBSERVER) – At least six soldiers were wounded in an al-Shabaab attack on a military base in southern Somalia, Jubbaland military officials confirmed.

Heavily armed al-Shabaab fighters on Saturday stormed a military base in Sakai village in Lower Jubba, prompting hours-long fighting with the military forces.

The attack reportedly started with suicide explosions conducted by two fighters who were driving Vehicle Borne Improvised Explosive Devices (VBIEDs) that targeted the base near Afmadow town.

Speaking to the media, the commander of the Jubbaland Darwish army forces in Afmadow district, Mahad Mohamed Islam has boasted that the forces foiled the attack, saying one of the vehicles loaded with explosives was destroyed with RPG by the government forces.

"We repelled the terrorist group's attack. The terrorist group wanted to hit the base with a vehicle loaded with explosives but the first one exploded outside the base and the other one was destroyed by our forces,” the commander said. "Only seven soldiers were wounded in the clashes with the militant group.”

The attack came hours after the Somali military claimed to have killed 117 fighters in a joint operation conducted by SNA, local forces as well as the country’s international partners in central Somalia.

Somali government forces backed by local clan militias launched operations against al-Shabaab fighters in central Somalia.

According to the government, at least 2,000 al-Shabaab fighters were killed since last July when the operations.