AFMADOW Somalia, March 16, 2016
Tuesday night, Al-Shabaab militants launched an ambush on a Jubbaland army base.
Military intelligence reports from Somalia indicate that at least three soldiers belonging to the Interim Jubbaland Administration (IJA) succumbed to injuries sustained during the clash.
Corressponding reports from local residents indicate that, fierce fight erupted after militants linked to the Al Qaeda branch in Somalia; Al-Shabaab ambushed an army outpost belonging to Jubbaland army.
Reports further say that a contingent of Kenyan troops, KDF battling Al-Shabaab insurgents under the banner of AMISOM in the region responded. KDF ground troops engaged Al-Shabaab with heavy artillery and machine gun fire.
Jubbaland forces backed by KDF overwhelmed Al-Shabaab combatants forcing them to retreat. During the combat, over two dozen Al-Shabaab militants were killed while Jubbaland forces lost three soldiers.
Afmadow is a crucial town, located about 120 km (75 miles) away from the port city of Kismayo.
On Wednesday 16 March 2016, heavy clashes have been reported between Puntland forces and Al-Shabaab militants at Suuj locality, some 30 kilometers away from the coastal town of Eyl in Nugal region.
Al Shabaab formally merged with al Qaeda terrorist group earlier 2012. The Somali based Islamist group has been dislodged from key towns and localities across Somalia but has remained persistent; responded by resorting more to guerrilla-style tactics like suicide bombings and hit-and-run grenade attacks. The militant group is also faction imminent threat of rivarly (pro-ISIL) within it faction.
