Militants attack military bases in southern Somalia

The militant group Al-Shabab attacked Somali military bases in the country's Lower Shabelle region early Saturday, according to military officials.
VOA News reported that around 4
a.m. Saturday, the group attacked military bases in Barire and Awdhegle in
southern Somalia.
Abdulaziz Abu Musab, the leader of
the al Qaeda-linked group's military wing, has claimed responsibility for the
attacks and said they killed 47 government soldiers and confiscated equipment
and ammunition, Bloomberg News reported.
Somali Army chief Brigadier
General Odawa Yusuf Rageh has denied this claim, telling state media that
Somali forces foiled the attack and killed "dozens of terrorist militants."
The country's defense minister
later told state television the government killed about 100 militants while
defending against the attacks.
Officials said the attackers
started with suicide car bombs on both bases, then followed with infantry
attack.
Abdulkadir Mohamed Nur Siidi, the
governor of Lower Shabelle region, confirmed the attacks in a conversation with
VOA's Somali service, saying the militants fired mortars on the villages o f
Sabiid and Anole, and more were reported near the town of Jannaale.
Troops stationed at the bases
protect several bridges along the Shabelle river that officials describe as key
to keeping vehicles from carrying explosives into Mogadishu.
Both villages were previously
under control of Al-Shabaab, but Somali forces regained control of them in 2014.
Officials said Somali forces
appear to have defended successfully against Awdhegle and a key bridge, but
they also said there was heavy fighting in Barire, which Al-Shabab claimed to
have "overrun."
Later on Saturday Somali state
media reported that a suicide bomber attacked a tea shop in Mogadishu, killing
five civilians. Little information was available on the attack.
Early last month a car bomb went
off in Mogadishu, leaving at least 10 people dead and injuring dozens of
others.