Thursday February 18, 2016

The latest attack, the largest attempt by Al Shabab to recapture the town, one of Somalia’s biggest agricultural areas which they lost to the allied forces in 2011 has lasted more than one hour with suicide bombers were allegedly involved in the assault.

The latest assault shows that the militants group is retaining capability to move across the country as parts of its deadly insurgency aimed at recapturing the areas it lost to the allied forces in the past few years.

The group’s fighters have carried out several complex attacks on military bases including three deadly attacks that saw militants overrun African Union forces’ bases in Somalia since late last year.

Dozens of Kenyan military soldiers were killed in an attack on El-Ade military camp, southwestern Somalia last month, with fighters also looted military vehicles and arms during the attack. Al Shabab also claimed it captured 12 soldiers in the attack.

Kenyan government declined to give the causality figures from the attack.

Despite the challenges, Somalia’s prime minister has vowed in September last year that his government would push militants out of the areas still under their control in 2016, a year Somalia proposed to hold presidential elections.