Somalia | At least 30 dead in clashes between villagers and al-Shabab members

Defence Redefined

06/09/2020

At least 30 people have been killed in clashes between local and Islamist militants in central Somalia, local officials told the German news agency AFP on Saturday.

“We have received reports that almost thirty people, including 16 fighters, have been killed in the village of Shabeelow, where residents (…) took up arms to battle the terrorists,” said Osman Isse Nur, a spokesman for the Galmudug district authorities.

Among the dead are many local freelance militiamen, according to the authorities.

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“Armed villagers opted to fight militants to defend their livestock animals from the terrorists,” the spokesman said.

Within five hours of fierce fighting on Friday, 14 villagers were killed and dozens more were injured and had to be hospitalized in Galkayo, Abdi Siyyad told AFP.

Leaders in the area, such as Abdi Siyad, said villagers had decided to defend themselves against, what he called, the “brutality” and intimidation by al-Shahab, which has a de facto control of large parts of Somalia.

The members of the jihadist organization “are forcing the locals to surrender their weapons and animals for the so-called holy war against the infidel invaders for many years. The locals are tired of the pressure by the organization in this so-called holy war,” explained the elder.

He called on the Somali federal government to provide the villagers with weapons so as to defend themselves.

With information from: CNA, ANA-MPA

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