MOGADISHU, Oct. 27 (Xinhua) -- Somali National Army (SNA) forces killed 75 al-Shabaab militants and wounded 56 others during an operation targeting a militant base near the Burhakaba district in southwestern Somalia, officials said Tuesday.
The Ministry of Defense said that the operation was part of an ongoing military campaign aimed at degrading al-Shabaab's operational capabilities, dismantling its strongholds and preventing the group from reorganizing.
Al-Shabaab militants attacked government troops on Monday afternoon with a vehicle laden with explosives, damaging several SNA vehicles, it added.
Al-Shabaab, meanwhile, claimed that it killed 321 government soldiers during a heavy fighting on Monday afternoon.
The clash was one of the deadliest in recent months, coming just days after the SNA launched "Operation Banooda" across Southwest State. ■
