Key facts
- Dozens of Somali soldiers were killed in a battle with al Shabaab.
- The defense ministry reported killing about 75 militants and wounding 56.
- The fighting occurred in the Jameeco area of Buurhakaba district.
- Militants attacked with vehicles packed with explosives, damaging army vehicles.
- One soldier reported transporting 40 dead and over 100 wounded soldiers.
Dozens of Somali soldiers were killed in a major battle with al Shabaab militants in southern Somalia, according to two soldiers who spoke to Reuters. The country's defense ministry stated that government forces killed approximately 75 militants and wounded 56 others in the fighting in the Jameeco area of Buurhakaba district. The ministry also reported that militants attacked the army with explosive-laden vehicles, damaging some army vehicles. One soldier, Ahmed, said he helped transport 40 dead soldiers and over 100 wounded to hospitals in Mogadishu. Another soldier, Farah, estimated dozens of soldiers were killed in car bomb explosions.