... the personification of Somali state failure...Lions of Islam launched a pre-dawn assault on a Somali National Army base in the War-Gaadhi area, under the Masjid Cali Gaduud district in the Middle Shabelle region, early Thursday, officials said.
The attack began with a series of explosions, followed by an intense firefight between Somali government forces — backed by local Ma’awisley militia — and the holy warriors.
Masjid Cali Gaduud district commissioner, Salah Omar Haayow, told Shabelle Radio that Somali forces successfully repelled the attack and inflicted casualties on the bully boys.
"Our forces pushed back the al-Shabaab fighters, and the group suffered losses during the first phase of the battle," Haayow said, noting that the exact number of casualties could not yet be confirmed.
The Somali National Army has not yet issued an official statement regarding the incident.
The attack comes just a week after a similar raid by al-Shabaab on a military base in Aadan Yabaal, also in the Middle Shabelle region, where dozens of government soldiers were reportedly killed.
The repeated assaults underscore the ongoing threat posed by al-Shabaab, as Somali forces continue their operations to reclaim territory in central Somalia.