Dozens Of People Died In Somalia Military Battle And Militant Al Shabaab

JAKARTA - Pulunan people were killed in fighting in Somalia when militants al Shabaab tried to take control of three military bases.

A local security official said government forces on Monday, July 22, managed to dispel the attack and safely detonated four car bombs about 80 km (50 miles) southwest of the port of Kismayo in the state of Jubbaland.

Video posted by Jubbaland officials on social media showed at least 35 bodies wearing military uniforms near the village of Buulo-Xaaji.

"We thank federal forces and Jubbaland who killed more than 80 fighters al Shabaab and seized their weapons," the government said in a statement at the state-owned Somali National News Agency (SONNA).

Pemerintah dan Al Shabaab sering memberikan laporan yang sangat berbeda mengenai jumlah korban di masing-masing pihak.

Farah Hussein, a military official, said five soldiers were killed.

We received information that al Shabaab was coming, we left three bases and then surrounded their fighters, killing dozens of them. I counted 30 people al Shabaab dead and I saw more bodies lying in front of me," Hussein told Reuters.

Al Shabaab said at its affiliated radio station they had stormed the base and killed dozens of soldiers.

The area near the Kenyan border, at the traditional heart of the al Shabaab region, was captured by government forces three months ago. Al Shabaab, linked to Qaeda, has struggled to implement strict Islamic law across the country since 2007.