Nine people dead, several hurt as Al Shabaab attack farmers

Al Shabaab militants clash with local fighters near Jilib town in Middle Jubba region

At least nine people have been killed and several others wounded in clashes between Al-Shabaab and local fighters, near Jilib town in Middle Jubba region.

Reports carried by Amisom Daily Media Monitoring and attributed to a local news outlet Halbeeg News say that Al Shabaab had made arrests on several local farmers claiming they were ‘Kenyans’.

This prompted a fierce fight with local militias in the area.

Speaking to the media, Mohamed Ibrahim, Deputy Governor in charge of security said, the fighting broke out between clan militias and Al-Shabaab fighters in remote areas. 

“Al-Shabaab arrested several farmers claiming that they (farmers) were Kenyans. Irate locals stormed Al-Shabaab bases prompting fierce fighting between the two sides,” Ibrahim said.

He confirmed the death of three Al-Shabaab and six local clan militiamen. “For now we heard the death of nine people including six local fighters and three Al-Shabaab. The fighting is still ongoing in remote areas near Jilib town,” he noted.

The official called on the federal government and Jubbaland state to help the locals fight Al-Shabaab fighters in the region.

The development comes on the heel of African Union’s call to accelerate the fight against Al-Shabaab. Commander of African Union Mission, Lt. Gen. Jim Owoyesigire has called on battlefield commanders of both SNA and AMISOM to accelerate the fight to annihilate Al-Shabaab.

Al-Shabaab, controls a large swath of Middle region where the group has the highest number of its training bases.

Somali forces supported by AMISOM have intensified offensives against Al-Shabaab in several areas in Middle Shabelle and Hiiraan region.