'Al-Shabaab launches attack on Somali army bases'

Mogadishu, Somalia(PANA) – Al-Qaeda-linked Al-Shabaab insurgents on Wednesday launched a dawn attack on several army bases in central Somalia, weeks after offensive against them stalled due to a series of setbacks, the Somali media reported.

The Somali Guardian said a military spokesman for Al-Shabaab said they had killed 191 soldiers, including Turkish-trained Gorgor commandoes and US-trained Danab special forces.

The spokesperson added that the rebel fighters had seized all the weapons and military vehicles inside the attacked bases.

It quoted Somali state TV as reporting that the army and allied clan militias repulsed the attack and killed several insurgents.

-0- PANA MA/RA 24Jan2024