AU troops ambushed in Somalia, al Shabaab says 39 killed
Jul. 30, 2017, 3:00 pm
By REUTERS
Civilians
run from the scene of an explosion in Maka al Mukaram road in Mogadishu,
Somalia, July 30, 2017. REUTERS
Somalia's
al Shabaab insurgents and troops from the African Union peacekeeping mission
clashed on Sunday, a senior military officer said, while the group said it had
killed 39 soldiers.
The
incident took place in Bulamareer district in Lower Shabelle region about 140
km southwest of Mogadishu.
The al
Shabaab fighters ambushed a convoy carrying troops from the African Union
Mission in Somalia (AMISOM), Col. Hassan Mohamed told Reuters.
"The
ambush turned into a fierce fight between al Shabaab and AMISOM. We understand
fighting is still going on but we do not have the figure of casualties,"
he told Reuters.
Abdiasis
Abu Musab, al Shabaab’s military operation spokesman, said: "We have in
hand 39 dead bodies of AU soldiers including their commander."
The
casualty figure could not be immediately independently verified.
Government
officials were not available for immediate comment.
Al
Shabaab, which wants to force out the peacekeepers, oust the Western-backed
government and impose its strict interpretation of Islam in Somalia, has
targeted the peacekeepers in the past.
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