Twenty-four killed in fighting between Somali, AU troops and al Shabaab, official says

The death toll from fighting on Sunday between al Shabaab fighters and Somalia government and African Union peacekeeping troop stands at 24, a senior regional official said.

The fighting broke out when the al Shabaab fighters ambushed the troops early Sunday in the Bulamareer district of the Lower Shabelle region, about 140 kilometers (84 miles) southwest of Mogadishu.

“We have carried 23 dead AMISOM soldiers and a dead Somali soldier from the scene where al Shabaab ambushed AMISOM today,” Ali Nur, the deputy governor of Lower Shabelle region, told Reuters.