QORYOLEY, Somalia – The Somali government has said that its army resisted an attack by Al-Shabaab in the Qoryoley district in the Lower Shabelle region, one of the most troubled areas in southern Somalia.
A press release from the Ministry of Information said that 30 members of Al-Shabaab were killed in the battle that took place yesterday in the city, which is 120 km southwest of Mogadishu, the capital of Somalia.
The government troops on Saturday carried out security operations this morning after the attack, and the business and life of the people in the area have returned to normal.
Medical officials said that several civilians were killed in yesterday’s attack, with reports that there was an aerial bombardment carried out by the Ugandan army in ATMIS, which is based in the east of the city.
The attack prompted hours of heavy fighting between the Somali army and heavily armed Al-Shabaab fighters. The two sides used heavy and light weapons during the confrontation.
The Somali National Army [SNA] backed by local clan militias has been conducting large-scale operations against Al-Shabaab and seized strategic towns in the Lower Shabelle region
The Al-Qaeda-linked Al-Shabaab has been the last months increasing military base attacks in the southern part of Somalia routinely targeting African Union forces and government bases.
