Senior Commander Killed In Al-Shabaab Assault

At least six Somali soldiers, including a senior commander, have been killed in a militant attack north of Mogadishu, reports the Garowe Online (Somalia).

On Tuesday, Al-Shabaab fighters attacked the village of Hawaadley with several car bombs, killing five soldiers and Col. Abshir Mohamud Mohamed Shataqey.

The colonel is the first senior military commander to die in the current Somali military campaign against Al-Shabaab, which began last year.

The Somali government claimed that its troops repelled the coordinated Al-Shabaab attack and killed at least 21 militants.