Roadside blast kills 5 Somali soldiers

At least five Somali soldiers were killed and one injured in a roadside bomb attack near the administrative capital of Southwest state in Somalia.

Information Minister for Southwest State Ugaas Hassan on Monday told Xinhua news agency that a heavy fighting between their forces and Al-Shabaab militants broke out after the deadly ambush attack and caused casualties on the militants.

"I can confirm that the five of the Southwest State Forces were killed in a remote control roadside bomb attack that also injured another soldier between Berdaale and Awdinle locations (about 40 km west of Baidoa town) on Monday," Hassan said.

Al-Shabaab militants claimed the responsibility for the latest attack, saying its fighters killed seven soldiers in the roadside attack.

At least six government soldiers killed and several others injured in a landmine blast in the same region on May 9.

--IANS

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