PRETORIA, March 11. /ITAR-TASS/. Forces of the African Union (AU) and Somalian army have begun the military advance on positions of Islamist militant group al-Shabaab in the southern Shabelle region over the weekend. Lower Shabelle Governor Abdulkadir Mohamed Nur Sidi said this on Tuesday.

He added that two Somalian soldiers and two AU servicemen were wounded, as well as “a huge number of” al-Shabaab militants were killed in the clashes. In addition, over 30 militants were killed in battles for the towns of Bakul and Gedo in the southwest of the country, and the governmental army managed to take control over these towns.

AU commander Ali Hamud stated that the troops also gained control over the city of Burdhubo that served as al-Shabaab’s major camp in recent six years.

The troops began attacking the militant group’s positions after the Islamists staged an attack on the presidential palace in Mogadishu killing 12 people. Over the tree recent years, AU forces managed to kick al-Shabaab off the major cities, however, the group still controls significant territories in the southern and central parts of Somalia.