Insurgents from the Al Aqaeda linked armed group carried out a large scale attack on a contingent of Turkish trained Somali troops from the Gor-Gor unit, leaving nearly 20 troops dead that include a senior commander.
The clashes occurred in the Middle Shabelle province of Somalia, near the city of Jowhar in a town called Warciise. The Turkish trained Somali government troops where reportedly overwhelmed by the Al Shabaab fighters during the clashes, which can be attributed to the high casualty rate.
A total of 18 Somali troops are confirmed dead, including Mohamed Abdiwahid, the commander of the 6th battalion of Turkish-trained troops. The Somali government downplayed the severity of the attack and disputed the claims made by Al Shabaab and stated that there troops repelled the attack and killed dozens of insurgents.
In recent days the volatile Middle Shabelle province of Somalia has been plagued by an uptick in clashes between government forces and those from the Al Aqaeda affiliated armed group Al Shabaab, which have left dozens dead, including many civilians that have been caught in the middle.
Halgan Media
