Mogadishu, June 16 (UNI) At least eight Somali National Army (SNA) soldiers, including a senior commander, lost their lives following a roadside explosion in the Bay region of southwest Somalia on Saturday, which also injured 11 others, a senior military official confirmed.
Chief of Defence Force of the SNA Ibrahim Sheikh Muhidin who confirmed the incident said the deceased army commander, Mohamed Dhere, led the Somali Army's 8th Battalion in Sector 60 and lost his life when the vehicles the soldiers were traveling in were struck by an explosive device.
Muhidin said the incident occurred near Jiiragarob village, an area that is a stronghold for the al-Shabab extremist group on the outskirts of Berdale town.
A military official who declined to be named said the latest blast left 11 SNA soldiers injured.
"The commander Dhere and his forces were traveling from Baidoa to Berdale when their military vehicles were struck by the explosion, injuring over 11 soldiers," said a senior military officer in the Southwest State of Somalia.
The al-Shabaab claimed responsibility for the latest attack against senior military leaders even as the Somali government intensified the onslaught against the al-Qaeda linked militant group.
UNI/XINHUA ARN