MOGADISHU, Somalia — A car laden with explosives targeted a security checkpoint in Awdhegle town, a week after Somali army forces retook control of the town from Al Shabaab.
The explosion went off in Awdhegle town, some 70km southwest of Somali capital, Mogadishu, a witness said.
He says heavy gun battle flared up, shortly after the explosion.
No group says it carried out the attack.
Last week, Turkey.-backed forces took control of Awdheegle town after the withdrawal of al Qaeda linked Al Shabaab.
For many years, Awdheegle was the main base in the Lower Shabelle region, where Al Shabaab assembled, planned and launched its attacks, according to a statement by Somali military.
Al Shabaab, the deadliest Islamic organization in Africa declared their allegiance to al-Qaeda in 2010.
The militant group was driven out of Mogadishu capital in 2011, and have since lost many strongholds to Somali army and African Union troops
The al Qaeda linked group still holds large rural swathes of the country and continue to wage a guerilla war against the Western-backed government of Somalia.
