The armed groups say they have seized control of the town of Walgaadi and its military base, but the Somali army has denied the claim.
According to government and military officials, Al-Shabaab fighters have fought against Somali and Allied forces to control Somali strategic army bases.
By capturing a base in the town of Wargaadi in the central Shovel area, which houses soldiers, special forces and clan fighter jets, al-Qaeda-related groups can cut off important roads between the capital, Mogadishu, 200km (124 miles).
Al-Shabaab has been fighting the Somali government for over 16 years and frequently targets government officials and military personnel. In a statement, the fighter said it had captured the base and the town of Wargaadi.
The Ministry of Information said in a statement that government forces killed more than 40 people after attempting to attack the base on Thursday morning.
However, Army officer Hussein Ali told news agency Reuters that the armed group had taken the town of Wargaadi after a “hard battle.”
“Our army lost 12 men mostly [clan fighters]. Ali was also killed by about 20 Al Shabaab fighters. “However, Al-Shabaab got more reinforcements and managed to capture the town.”
He added that Somali troops are struggling to send reinforcements as they must use routes through areas held by al-Shabaab.
The two soldiers quoted by Reuters said the air force-backed government forces were able to reclaim parts of the town in the middle.
Claims made on either side could not be independently verified.
Continuous attack
Last week, Al-Shabaab allegedly seized control of nearby Adan Yabar, a government-armed town and logistics hub, about 220 km (130 miles) north of Mogadishu.
However, Hussein Ou, a military officer at Adan Yabar, denied the report, saying Reuters’ government forces had pushed the group back.
Both attacks are part of an attack launched by Al-Shabab last month. The group temporarily captured the village within 50 km (30 miles) of Mogadishu, increasing fears that the city could be targeted among residents of the capital.
Although Somali forces have recaptured those villages, Al-Shabaab continues to move forward in the countryside as the future of international security support for Somalia appears to be increasingly unstable.
The new African Union Peacekeeping Mission, Somalia’s AU support and stabilization mission, replaced larger forces in February, but the funding is uncertain as the US opposes moving to the UN funding model.
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