BAIDOA, Somalia — Heavy fighting erupted Monday between Somali National Army (SNA) forces and Al-Shabab militants near Baidoa, a town in the Bay region about 250 kilometers southwest of the capital, Mogadishu.
The clashes began when Al-Shabab fighters attacked an army base in Burjeed, manned by SNA forces supported by South West State troops, according to witnesses.
Somali military said it repelled the attack and maintained control of the base, continuing search operations in the area.
The military also claimed to have killed at least five militants, wounded several others, and recovered weapons during the clashes.
There was no immediate comment from Al-Shabab regarding the military’s claims.
Despite air and ground operations, the militant group continues to carry out deadly attacks on army bases in south and central Somalia.
For the last three months, the group seized several towns following pre-dawn attacks that began with suicide explosions, followed by gun battles.
Al-Shabab still holds large swaths of rural territory, including the Middle Jubba region, where its top leaders have been based since being driven out of Mogadishu in 2011.
