(SomaliNet) Two foreign fighters were killed alongside 10 local rebels during clashes yesterday in Lower Shabelle region, a commander with Somalia's army told the BBC Somali Service on Monday. The two dead fighters are from Pakistan and Iraq, while urging journalists to "go see" the dead bodies, regional commander Col. Dahir Mohamed Hersi said. Al Shabaab spokesman Muktar Robow "Abu Mansur," who claimed responsibility for the attack, denied reports that foreign fighters were killed during the battle. He told a Mogadishu-based radio station that, on their side, 3 fighters were killed and 3 others wounded. But he claimed that government troops "suffered heavy losses."
Local sources told Garowe Online that they saw 3 dead soldiers and "nearly 10" insurgents lying on the ground, as the fight subsided around sunset. Two civilians were also killed, the confidential sources added.