US special operation forces and Somali troops launched a raid overnight in southern Somalia, targeting high profile members of the militant group Al-Shabaab.
According to the group’s radio Andalus, foreign forces riding in helicopters attacked Toratorow, a small town in Lower Shabelle region and engaged in fighting with Al-Shabaab in the area.
The number of casualties involved incident is yet unknown.
A resident in the town who sought anonymity over possible reprisal by Al-Shabaab confirmed the attack saying foreign forces sneaked into the town to avoid detection by the Islamic fighters and launched a surprise raid.
Al-Shabaab fighters have reportedly made arrests of people suspected to be spies.
The raid comes less than 24 hours after four people were killed and six injured in a suicide attack on traffic police headquarters in Somali capital Mogadishu.
“The attack involved two Shabaab members, one of them driving a car loaded with explosives, and another tried to storm the police headquarters but was shot dead. We have lost three policemen,” said Abdifatah Omar Halane, spokesman for the Mogadishu city administration.
He added that two civilians were also shot dead.
“Two other civilians were shot dead separately at a nearby street,” Mr Halane said, adding that the police believed to be responsible had been arrested.
Al-Shabaab took responsibility for the attacks.
In march U.S. special operations forces and Somali commandos captured an undisclosed number of high-value Al-Shabaab figures during a joint nighttime raid on group’s camps in Awdigle town.
The teams also killed at least one senior Al-Shabaab leader and several members of the Islamist extremist organization in the Tuesday night operation,
American special operations forces have severally partnered with Somali soldiers and carried out several joint operations to raid Al-Shabaab bases.
