MOGADISHU – Somali army forces have repulsed an orchestrated attack by al Qaeda linked al Shabaab group in Bal’ad town, some 30km north of the capital, Mogadishu.
The attack triggered fierce clash between the army forces and al Shabaab after the militants launched an ambush attack, a witness said.
He says heavy weaponry could be heard through the town.
It is unclear how many were killed or injured in the latest fighting.
The militant group says it has briefly taken control of the town.
Somali military remains unavailable to reach on the phone for comments.
The rebel group was ousted out of the capital, Mogadishu in 2011 by Somali army and African Union force.
The group still holds large swaths in south and central Somalia.
