[Garowe] Somalia-based al-Shabaab
 ...... Somalia's version of the Taliban
...Arabic for students ...
, functioning as an arm of al-Qaeda...
faceless myrmidons on Friday targeted members of the Somali National Army [SNA] in central Somalia, in an attack that comes amid ongoing political instability in the Horn of Africa nation.
Officials said at least two members of SNA's Danab brigade were killed and nine others maimed after a kaboom targeted a military convoy in Dhusumareb, the regional administrative capital of Galmadug state.
A top military general told news hounds that the military convoy was hit by a landmine while traveling between the town of Guriel and Dhusamareb. The two towns have been a center of focus for al-Shabaab on the last several occasions.
"The military convoy belonged to Danab commandos, and we understand the attack was an improvised bomb [IED] planted near the road, killing soldiers," the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity
... for fear of being murdered...
because he is not authorized to speak to the media.
Mohammed Deeq Abdi, a local journalist, told Anadolu Agency that nine maimed soldiers were admitted to a hospital in Dhusamareb. Of the maimed soldiers, reports indicate, four sustained serious injuries.
In their proxy media outlets, the al-Qaeda linked group, al-Shabaab, claimed the attack leftover 15 soldiers dead. However,
ars longa, vita brevis...
the reports could not be independently verified by Garowe Online.
Elsewhere, on Friday, Galmudug
...a semiautonomous region in central Somalia, bordering Puntland on the north. Galmudug is not trying to obtain international recognition as a separate nation, but rather considers itself autonomous within the larger Somali federalism, for what that's worth...
regional soldiers repulsed an al-Shabaab attack on the town of Bahdo in the same region. Somali national TV reported that 17 bad boyz were potted in the retaliatory attack, citing military commanders as saying.
Further, the Somali National Army on Friday also announced killing at least five al-Shabaab faceless myrmidons in the Middle Shabelle region. The operation was executed by the Special Forces from Danab unit, who are trained by the US Africa Command.
"Gambole is one of al-Shabaab's strongholds in the Middle Shabelle region. A heavy shootout erupted during the operation, but our commandos killed many al-Shabaab terrorists, including five senior commanders," a military official said.
Col. Ahmed Abdullahi Nur, commander of the 16th Danab Commandos, also confirmed the operation and the killing of al-Shabaab operatives.
Nur said operations against the terrorist group, which has been fighting against the Somali government and African Union
...a union consisting of 53 African states, most run by dictators of one flavor or another. The only all-African state not in the AU is Morocco. Established in 2002, the AU is the successor to the Organisation of African Unity (OAU), which was even less successful...
Mission to Somalia [AMISOM] forces since 2007, will continue until all territories in the Middle Shabelle region are back under government control. 
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