MOGADISHU, Feb 27 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Suspected al Shabaab militants shot and killed nine street cleaners in a village near Somalia’s capital Mogadishu, police said.
Gunmen on Tuesday opened fire on four women and five men from refugee camps in Hawabdi, 19 km north west of Mogadishu in the state of Lower Shabelle.
All were killed at the scene, authorities said.
“They were clearing the shrubs to get cash. Militants opened fire on them,” Ali Nur, deputy governor of Lower Shabelle, said on Tuesday. “Security forces heard the gunfire and rushed to the scene. The militants ran away otherwise they could’ve killed dozens of cleaners there.”
Al Shabaab frequently carries out attacks in Mogadishu and other parts of Somalia against the government and other targets.
Separately, the U.S. military said that a recent air strike in central Somalia killed 35 al Shabaab fighters.
The United States carries out regular air strikes in Somalia in support of a United Nations-backed government there, which has been fighting against an al Shabaab insurgency for years.
In a statement, U.S. Africa Command said the strike took place on Sunday near Beledweyne, Hiran Region in Somalia. — NNN-AGENCIES
