Dozens of Somali Soldiers Killed in Battle With Al-Shabaab

Dozens of Somali soldiers were killed in a major battle with al-Shabaab in southern Somalia.

Somalia's defence ministry said about 75 militants were killed and another 56 were wounded in the fighting in the Jameeco area of Buurhakaba district. The statement did not say how many soldiers were killed or wounded.

The defence ministry said the militants had attacked the national army using vehicles packed with explosives and that some army vehicles were damaged.

Two soldiers told Reuters that dozens of soldiers were killed in the battle.

One of the soldiers, who gave his name as Ahmed, said he had helped transport 40 dead soldiers and more than 100 wounded to hospitals in the capital Mogadishu.

Another soldier called Farah said al-Shabaab car bombs had ruined five military vehicles and estimated that dozens of soldiers were killed in the explosions.

Somalia has been grappling with a nearly two-decade-long insurgency led by al-Shabaab, which seeks to establish its own rule based on its strict interpretation of Sharia law.