Al-Shabaab Attacks Somali Army Camp Outside Mogadishu

Armed militants from the Al-Qaeda-affiliated Al-Shabaab have staged an overnight attack on a Somali military outpost near Mogadishu.

Local residents in Bal’ad district, about 30Km north of the capital said the fighters encountered resistance as they tried to storm the army base.

The attack has led to an hour-long gun battle between Al-Shabaab combatants and Somali government forces, which caused heavy casualties.

The raid was the latest in a series of attacks by Al-Shabaab in the country amid ongoing military operations to flush out the militants from their bases.