... Somalia's version of the Taliban, functioning as an arm of al-Qaeda...
fighters were reported to have attacked a Somali government-controlled town in central Hiran region on Sunday amid ongoing
s against the holy warrior group.The attack, according to the residents began with blasts at the city’s main bridge targeting Djibouti troops serving under 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 in Somalia [AMISOM].
The two sides engaged in a fierce shootout and have exchanged heavy and small weaponry during the clash, which caused an unspecified number of casualties.
Al-Shabaab said its fighters have killed 13 Djiboutian soldiers and burnt down a battlewagon belonging to the AU peacekeepers. There was no statement from AMISOM confirming or denying the claims.
The latest reports said the situation has returned to normal on Sunday following the attack.