Armed Al-Shabaab fighters have ambushed KDF military at Dhamase area, about 60Km away from El Wak town located near Somali border with Kenya, reports said.
The overnight attack began with heavy mortar bombardment on army base, and then fighters tried to infiltrate the base, after hours-long gunfire with KDF soldiers serving with AMISOM.
KDF of AMISOM contingent have reportedly fended off the attack and managed to remain in control of their base at Dhamase village near the border town of El Wak following the firefight.
The Al Qaeda-linked Al-Shabaab fighters destroyed a water well in the area that was used KDF to fetch drinking water. The militants also severed Safaricom phone network in the area.
Telephone network in north east Kenya is out of service on Saturday due to Al-Shabaab attack and shut down of Safaricom’s branch was raided and destroyed.
In a similar development, at least five people, including pastoralists were killed when the Al Qaeda-affiliated Al-Shabaab militants attacked Ethiopian troops’ base in Gedo province on Friday night, reports said.
The overnight ambush attack has sparked to flare up gunfight between Al-Shabaab and Ethiopian soldiers stationed at Yurkud village, located some 40 kilometers away from Luq town.
Ethiopian forces serve under the UN-mandated African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) who are helping Somali government in fight against Al-Shabaab.
The AU forces say are still in full control of the base and pushed back Al-Shabaab fighters with heavy casualties, though the casualties of inflicted on the militants are yet to confirm.
Several pastoralists died in the gun fight after they were caught in the cross fire.
After the attack, Ethiopian troops have launched an operation, to pursue of the attackers, but no arrests were reported. Situation of the area has returned to normalcy following the attack.
