BY ADOW JUBAT
At least four people were confirmed killed and seven others seriously injured in an eruption of a heavy fighting between the Transitional Federal Government forces and the dread Al-Shabaab militia group.
The fighting which started on the wee hours (4.00 AM) of Wednesday morning also saw the displacement of hundreds of civilians fleeing from the skirmishes sparked off for the control of the Somali border town of Kolbio neighboring Kenya.
Panicking residents of Hullugho town in Ijara district, a town less than a nine kilometers away from the fluid Somali border town of Kolbio are reported to have deserted the town to neigbouring villages to avoid be in caught by astray bullets.
Confirming the incident the North-Eastern Provincial Commissioner James Ole Serian said seven of the injuries were been brought into Hullugho dispensary, where they are undergoing treatment before been transported to Ijara District hospital for speciliasted treatment.
The PC said “We are aware of heavy fighting going on in Kolbia Somali border district, which is nine kilometers away from our border between forces loyal to TFG and the Al-Shabaab militia. So far there are seven casualties who sustained various gun wounds been treated at our Hullugho Dispensary’.
“I can not confirm who the casualties are. I can only tell you they are those who were fighting and not civilians. As country we are allowing them to be treated in our facility on humanitarian grounds” he added when asked whether it was true those treated in Kenya health facility were TFG solders.
Ole Serian added following the skirmishes the security in the in Kenya border towns were intensified to thwart attempt of incursions from those entangled in the heavy fighting adding that reports they were receiving from the border town indicates the fighting is far from over.
However, a senior Kenya provincial administration who requested to remain unknown for fear of been victimized told Your Authoritative Frontier leaks on phone the four killed persons and the seven injured currently been treated in Hullugho Dispensary were all soldiers of Transition Federal Government, which enjoys moral and military supports from Kenya government.
The official said the border town has now fell on the control of the Islamist group, adding the casualties on their side couldn’t immediately confirmed since they took away the bodies of the killed militia men.
The fighting comes barely a week after the Transitional Federal Government Deputy Minister for Defence Col. Abdirashid Mohamed Xidig visited the border town with a Kenyan senior security officer in-charge of the co-ordinations on the operation and security on Kenya/Somali border towns to open a Military Training Camp in Sinia town in Kolbio district.
Ends.
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