Al-Shabaab kills senior commando in attack on army camp in central Somalia
MOGADISHU, Somalia (AA) – A senior Somali army commando was killed Friday and several wounded when al-Shabaab fighters launched an early morning attack on a military camp in central Somalia, said officials.
The attack involved car bombs at a military base in the newly liberated Galcad town in Galmudug state that resulted in multiple casualties, including US-trained commandos (DANAB) deputy commander Hassan Tuurre, according to Ilyas Ali, a security official who spoke to Anadolu.
Galcad is a strategic town located 375 kilometers (233 miles) northeast of the nation’s capital of Mogadishu.
Tuurre was a key figure in the ongoing military offensives against the al-Shabaab in the central region.
Residents who spoke to Anadolu reported that they heard heavy explosions and gunshots.
Former Prime Minister Hassan Ali Khaire described Tuurre as a “brave” man who devoted himself to protecting “the life, wealth and honor of the nation.”
He urged Somalians to unite. “I once again urge the Somali people to unite to eradicate the Kharijite group,” he said in a statement.
Al-Shabaab claimed responsibility for the attack and said it killed more than 100 soldiers.
President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud declared a “total war” on all fronts against the group late last year and since the announcement, the army has scored significant victories against the group.
Earlier this week, the army liberated the strategic seaside town of Haradhere which had remained under the control of the group for more than a decade.