Somali Government Forces Kill Nearly 50 Al-Shabab Militants, Sustain 5 Deaths

In a clash with Islamist militant group Al-Shabab, Somali government forces reported killing 47 fighters on Saturday, about 350 kilometers north of the capital Mogadishu. However, the government also lost 5 of its own soldiers in the battle, Arab News reported yesterday.

According to the source, the firefight occurred after government troops and supporting militia received intelligence about a planned Al-Shabab attack in the town of Ceeldheer, in the Galgadud region. Government forces ambushed the militants and carried out airstrikes against them.

Al-Shabab has been waging a deadly insurgency against the fragile central government in Mogadishu for more than 16 years.