Al Shabaab fighters on Wednesday attacked a town in central Somalia that government forces have been using to drive back the militants.
Adan Yabaal, the town attacked, lies around 245 kilometres north of Mogadishu and has been used as an operating base for raids on al Shabaab.
Advances by the al Qaeda affiliate, which included briefly capturing villages within 50 km (30 miles) of Mogadishu in March, have left residents of the capital on edge amid rumours al Shabaab could target the city.
Soldiers told journalists that the army has recaptured those villages.
Still, al-Shabaab has continued to advance in the countryside, leading the government to deploy police officers and prison guards to support the military.
President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, who hails from the area, visited Adan Yabaal in March to meet with military commanders about reinforcing them.
Source: Ripples Nigeria