Hiiraan Online
Tuesday, September 22, 2015
BAIDOA (HOL) ----Fighter jets from the African Union forces in Somalia have conducted attacks on military bases belong to the Al-Qaeda linked fighters in Bay region, southern western Somalia, killing a ‘number’ of fighters on early Tuesday, military officials said.
The military helicopters have targeted bunkers used by Al-Shabab fighters in Labatan-Jirow, a village that lies 60km north of the provincial capital of Baidoa town, according to local officials in the region.
Hassan Hussein Mohamed, the minister for rehabilitations and militia disarmament for the Baidoa-based Southwestern state told reporters that the aerial attacks have inflicted ‘heavy’ losses on Al-Shabab fighters.
“They have suffered significant losses in numbers but I cannot confirm the exact number at this time.” He told reporters in Baidoa.
Al-Shabab hasn’t so far commented on the latest attack which despite facing a multi-pronged offensive increases pressure on its fighters.
African Union officials often cite lack of aerial capability to fight the battle-hardened AL-shabab fighters who have staged several major attacks in which their fighters overrun and loot AU army bases, mostly in rural areas in southern Somalia.
Among the multinational forces, only the Ethiopian contingent has an aerial power to support its scattered across Somalia where Al-Shabab fighters continue to ambush their troops in towns and villages in south and central Somalia.