Heavy fighting broke out between US-backed forces of Somalia and Al Shabaab militants in the south of Mogadishu. The clash flared up when heavily armed Al Shabaab fighters launched an attack on army base manned by government forces in Sabid town, some 40km south of Mogadishu.
The government forces were, however, able to repulse the attack by the al Shabaab killing several militants in the altercation. The attack comes two weeks after the country’s army forces backed by African Union troops captured Sabid town from Al Shabaab.
The reports of the attempted attack come as very high profile members of the al Shabaab defect to the government and with many other seeking to crossover a sign of a weakened organization and leadership seeing as the emir of the group is believed to be terminally ill.
