At least 10 Somali soldiers have been killed in a dawn attack by Islamist militants al-Shabab on a border town of Balad Hawo, near Kenya, the Reuters news agency is reporting quoting a military source.
Major Mohamed Abdullahi confirmed the causalities:
“We lost at least 10 soldiers. We chased al-Shabab out of the town. We killed seven militants.”
A spokesman from the militants however told Reuters that they had killed 24 Somali soldiers during the attack.
A resident, Suleiman Nur, who is a shopkeeper in the town, told Reuters:
“First we heard a huge blast at the military base and then heavy exchange of gunfire followed.
“Al-Shabab captured the military base, the police station and most part of the town.”
Other reports say that the attackers have withdrawn from the base.
BBC
