... as opposed to the more usual name-calling or slapsy...
broke out between al-Shabaab
...... the personification of Somali state failure...turbans and local militia in the Hiran region, central Somalia, officials said.
The battle came after the local militia attacked the al-Shabaab base in El-Harari locality near the town of Beledweyne, the regional capital of Hiran, 320Kms north of Mogadishu.
Both sides suffered casulaties but the number still remains unknown.
The reports from the area indicate that al-Shabaab turbans were driven out of the base during the confrontation that lasted for several hours.
The local militia received support from the Somali military that helped to overpower the al-Shabaab fighters, according to the sources.