MOGADISHU – Somali army forces have killed at least 8 al Shabaab militants during gun battle near Jamame town in Middle Juba region.
The fighting erupted after the military forces came under ambush attack by al Shabaab in Koban area near the town.
Somalia’s Jubaland state security spokesman Abdinur Ibrahim Hussein says the military forces had recaptured key area from al Shabaab.
Hussein says 8 militants were killed during the operation as the group’s fighters carried out a surprise botched attack.
He added the militants were driven out of Kaban and other key areas after the joint operation.
“We will continue targeting al Shabaab until the group is eradicated out Jubba regions in south of Somalia”, he said.
The al Qaeda linked group has been fighting against Somali army and UN-backed African Union troops for more than ten years in Somalia.
The group wants to topple the weak-western backed government based in Mogadishu to impose its strict law.
Al Shabaab also lost key towns in south and central to country’s army forces backed by African Union troops.
