This fighting followed mortar shells fired this yesterday by Al-Shabaab militia into the Bardhere district of the Gedo region, prompting government forces to deploy to the locations from which the shells had been launched.
Reports indicate that the forces had fully secured the battle sites and pushed back the militia. Key sources state that the forces lost eight soldiers in the fighting, with another seven wounded. An officer, who requested anonymity, also told Universal TV that he saw the bodies of 20 Al-Shabaab militia members who had been killed.
National Army officers operating in the Gedo region report that the Al-Shabaab fighters arrived via the road leading from Saakow District in the Middle Juba region.
This development comes as the Commander of the National Army’s Ground Forces, General Sahal Abdullahi Omar, is on a four-day visit to Bardhere.
The Commander traveled to Bardhere on Sunday to oversee the opening of a military base intended for training National Army troops.
It is reported that local elders and prominent figures in Bardhere oppose the opening of the base, citing concerns regarding the unreliability of the Federal Government.
