BAIDOA – An attack by Al-Shabaab in the Goofgaduud Burey, one of the areas under the city of Baidoa, the capital of the Bay region has been reported again on Wednesday.
The village residents said fighting between the government forces and Al-Shabaab took hours after the army showed stiff resistance leading to a number of fatalities.
Goofgaduud Buurey area which is 30 KM north of Baidoa saw a series of attacks from Al-Shabaab with local authorities blaming this for the Southwest State’s failure in the security.
According to the residents the warring parties used different types of weapons, including RPGs but the official casualties resulting from the hours-long battle remained unverified.
This is the third time in 10 days that the Al-Shabaab has launched an attack in the area, which is one of the strategic villages that serve the gate of the Southwest State seat.
Baidoa, which is the temporary capital of the Southwest state of Somalia has been facing a blockade from Al-Shabaab for days, which prompted skyrocketing inflation of foods.
In conjunction with clan militias, the army has dislodged the Islamist insurgency Al-Shabaab from swathes of central Somalia, marking a breakthrough in the fifteen-year war.
As its campaign proceeds, the Mogadishu-based government has been urged to take steps to strengthen its hold on the territory it has retaken from the Al-Qaeda-linked group.
