Somalia: Somali troops battle al-Shabaab fighters in Afgoye
Intense battles between Somali troops and al-Shabaab fighters have broken out in Afgoye, a city about 30km northwest of the capital Mogadishu, according to security sources and witnesses.
Local authorities told Reuters news agency that at least four police officers were killed on Tuesday when a suicide attacker rammed a bomb-laden car into a police station, and then fighters stormed the area.
“Fierce fighting is taking place in several bases in Afgoye, one of which came under attack from a booby-trapped car,” Abdulakir Ahmed, a local security official, told AFP news agency.
Al-Shabaab, which has been carrying out a series of deadly bombings throughout Somalia, claimed responsibility for the attack.
In a statement, the armed group said it had recaptured the town, which it evacuated in May 2012 after coming under attack from the Somali army and African Union peacekeepers.
There was no independent confirmation of the reported capture of Afgoye.