A landmine explosion killed at least five government soldiers on Thursday in the Madooda area, south of Hudur, the administrative capital of the Bakool region, according to military sources.
The blast targeted a military convoy heading to support South West regional forces engaged in clashes with Al-Shabaab earlier in the day. One of the vehicles was hit, resulting in multiple casualties, sources confirmed.
South West State President Abdiaziz Laftagareen expressed his condolences to the families of the fallen soldiers, describing them as “heroes” who lost their lives while aiding their comrades in the fight against Al-Shabaab.
“Our operations against Al-Shabaab will continue,” Laftagareen said in a statement. He added that government forces seized a large cache of weapons from the militants during Thursday’s battle and inflicted heavy casualties. However, he did not disclose the number of militants killed or wounded.
Al-Shabaab, an al-Qaida-linked group, has stepped up attacks in the region as government and allied forces intensify military operations to reclaim territory under militant control.
