63 Al-Shabaab fighters killed near the Ethiopian border, 17 killed on Ethiopian side including police
14 police members and three civilians are killed during a response to the Al-Shabab attack in the Somali region of Ethiopia
63 Al-Shabab fighters were reportedly killed near the Ethiopian border where they attempted to control two villages.
Reuters report, on Thursday, indicates that Al-Shabab fighters have killed 17 (civilians and Ethiopian police). The source cited the Ethiopian Police commander on the scene.
Groups linked to Al-Qaeda on Wednesday attacked Yeed and Aato villages after their commander was killed on the Ethiopian side of the border days before they launched the attack.
Al-Shabab is claiming it has killed dozens of Ethiopian forces and captured villages.
“Al Shabaab’s military operation spokesperson, Abdiasis Abu Musab, said the group’s fighters had captured the two villages and killed dozens of Ethiopian police officers there. He also said the group seized weapons from the Ethiopian police,” Reuters reported.
Social media sources say it was Somali region special forces who were responding to Al-Shabab attacks.
Al-Shabab had attempted to attack Ethiopia in the Somali region in the past but it was unable to inflict serious damage until the attack this past Wednesday which claimed 17 lives, as indicated above.
Ethiopia’s intelligence made repeated arrests of Al-Shabab members who were plotting to launch an attack on Ethiopia including in the capital Addis Ababa.
Somali region police force made claims that they have seized machine guns and Vehicles from Al -Shabab Fighters, as reported by Reuters.
The terrorist group had been carrying out recurring bomb attacks in Somalia. It had also carried out terrorist attacks in Kenya.
The Ethiopian government has not yet remarked about the Al-Shabab attacks on Wednesday.
(Borkena)
