BIAODA, Somalia – At least two soldiers have been killed and another wounded in an al Shabab ambush attack in Baidoa town, some 250km south west of Somali capital Mogadishu.
The militant group said it has carried out an attack at a security checkpoint near an airport in the town, leaving two soldiers dead.
Somali regional police say the security forces had repulsed the attack.
It did not say how many were killed or injured.
In a phone interview with Shabelle Media, a local resident said, the attack followed by a brief gun battle took place in the town.
He says several people had also wounded in the skirmish and were taken into hospital.
Al Shabab, an al Qaeda linked group has been battling Mogadishu-based government more than ten years.
The group wants to topple the government and establish its own strict interpretation of Islamic sharia law in Somalia.
By Abdirisak Mohamud Tuuryare