AU, Somali forces kill 17 militants in S. Somalia
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E-mail Xinhua, July 23, 2015
The Africa Union and Somali forces on Wednesday killed 17 militants in fierce fighting with Al-Qaida linked group Al-Shabaab in several villages in the Bakol region of southern Somalia.
Deputy Mayor of Hudur town in Bakol region Aden Abdi told Xinhua that they captured three districts near Hudur during the fighting and killed 17 Al-Shabaab fighters.
"In the battle, we killed 17 militants and managed to seize Mura-gabe, Garas-wayne and Lagalay villages which were under the control of Al-Shabaab," Aden said as allied forces intensify their military raids in southern part of the Horn of Africa nation.
"We lost one soldier, and two others were wounded during the fighting," he added.
Abdi also noted that Al-Shabaab fighters gathered now in the village of Fijo in Bakol region, and the joint forces on their way to the village to flush out the militants.
Witnesses said they could still hear the sound of sporadic gunfire in the villages on Wednesday evening.
"We are at home, but we sometimes hear gunfire, we do not know what exactly is going on," Shoble Sidow, one of the residents in Garas-wayne village, told Xinhua.
Government troops and African Union launched a major military operation in Bakol, Bay and Gedo regions in southern Somalia to flush out Al-Shabaab out from its strongholds.
The airstrike bombardments have increased this week while on the ground the army coordinated the operations to rid off the militants who have caused insecurity along the border with Kenya.
The allied forces had earlier captured Bardere, one of Al Shabaab's last strongholds which served as a strategic location in carrying out their operations. The town has been under control of the militants for the past five years.
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