Somali, AU Troops Clash With Al-Shabab Fighters Near Qoryoley

Somali national army [SNA] backed by African Union forces engaged in a heavy gunfight with Al-Shabaab militants on the outskirts of Qoryoley district in Lower Shabelle region.

The battle broke out after heavily armed Al-Shabaab fighters staged an assault against military bases belonging to the allied troops in several villages outside the town.

The fighting which raged on for several minutes has inflicted casualties on both warring sides, but, the loss has not yet been established.

The Al-Qaeda-linked militant group Al-Shabaab has intensified attacks targeting Somali and AMISOM military camps in the southern region, near the capital Mogadishu in the past.