Militants kill 18 in Somalia

Hundreds of residents on Tuesday, fled their homes, after armed Islamist al-Shabaab, overran a district and captured a military base briefly, in central Somalia’s Galmudug state.

Senior Somali commander, Masud Warsame, told dpa that 18 people were confirmed dead in the dawn assault in army base, by the Amara district of Mudug province.

The terrorists raided the base after a suicide car bombing, followed by a fierce battle, killing at least seven soldiers.

The army denied confirming that the Amara district had fallen completely.

“We have killed nine militants and we have lost seven soldiers. The fighting is still going on in and around Amara district, especially in the bush areas,” the military official told dpa.

Local elder, Mohamud Jama said he saw the bodies of two civilians after a mortar hit their home, taking the death toll to 18.

Jama said that powerful explosions and gunfire made the situation uncertain for many residents, forcing them to flee with their children.

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“Businesses and schools are closed and hundreds of residents moved to the outskirts of the districts,” he said.

Al-Shabaab said on its radio station, Andalus, that the Somali army had “incurred heavy losses” and that its fighters seized weapons, ammunition and destroyed military vehicles while burning down the army barracks.

However, dpa could not independently verify the level of destruction.

Amara district is one of several districts and villages liberated recently by Somali national army and regional forces, with the support of U.S. drone strikes from the air.

Al-Shabaab had been fighting for dominance in the country on the Horn of Africa for years, controlling large parts of the south and the centre and repeatedly carrying out attacks on security forces and civilians.