Somalia – Al-Shabaab Launches Deadly Pre-Dawn Attack On Army Base
Burhakaba, Somalia — Al-Shabaab militants launched a deadly pre-dawn attack on a South West State military base near the town of Buurhakabo in Somalia’s Baay region on Wednesday, security sources and local residents said.
The assault began with a series of explosions, believed to be suicide car bombs, followed by heavy gunfire that lasted for more than two hours, according to witnesses.
Residents told Shabelle Radio that the attack caused significant casualties on both sides, though exact figures remain unclear. Among those killed was Osman Kaarabiin, the deputy commander of the South West State Darawish forces in Buurhakabo district, sources confirmed.
“Several soldiers, including senior officers, were killed in the fighting,” said one resident who asked not to be named for security reasons.
Al-Shabaab, an Al-Qaeda-linked militant group that has waged a deadly insurgency in Somalia for over a decade, claimed responsibility for the attack through its propaganda channels, saying it targeted “enemy forces” stationed outside Buurhakabo.
There has been no immediate response from Somali federal or South West State authorities.
The attack underscores the ongoing security challenges facing the Somali government and its regional allies as they continue joint operations aimed at dislodging Al-Shabaab from its strongholds in southern and central Somalia.
By Shabelle.
