A South West State Commander and three soldiers were on Monday killed when Alshabaab staged an ambush on a convoy between Burhakaba and Baidoa, Radio Dalsan reports.
A military source identified the commander as Lt. Colonel Abdirahman Osman Abrone who is in charge of Burhakaba.
The convoy was attacked near Lug Bahare while escorting khat from Baidoa to Burhakaba.
A South West regional force official Adan Isaak Ali denied that Lt. Col. Abrone had been killed in the attack.
He however said that a high ranking military official was killed in the ambush together with three soldiers. Ali did not identify the military official killed.
Alqaeda linked militant group Alshabaab has intensified attacks along the main roads linking South West State towns despite recent deployment of troops in the hotspots.
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