At Least 22 Killed in Clashes, Drone Attack in Somalia

Sun Nov 22, 2015 11:22PM

Clashes between several rival armed sides and a drone strike in Somalia have killed at least 22 people in the African country.

At least 14 people died and 13 were wounded in clashes between soldiers from two autonomous federal states in central Somalia on Sunday, DPA reported.

Armed groups from the central states of Puntland and Galmudug fought over control of the city of Galkayo, which is located on the border between the two states.

For the past several years, the strategic city has been run by two competing governments.

Somalia has lacked a functioning government since 1991, when warlords overthrew former dictator Mohamed Siad Barre.

Meanwhile, in the southern Somalia, at least eight members of the al-Qaeda-linked al-Shabab group were killed and another five injured by a drone attack on a camp belonging to them.

According to authorities, three rockets were fired from the drone and hit the camp which was located near the city of Beledul Amin in the Lower Shabelle state around midnight on Saturday.

Authorities also confirmed that a high-ranking al-Shabaab leader was among the dead.

The origin of the drone was not immediately known, but the US has been using unmanned airplanes in Somalia and other countries including Afghanistan, Pakistan, Somalia and Yemen - to target what it calls militants. According to witnesses, however, the attacks have mostly led to civilian deaths.

An MQ-9 Reaper remotely piloted aircraft flies by during a training mission November 17, 2015 at Creech Air Force Base in Indian Springs, Nevada. (AFP)

According to the Human Rights Watch (HRW), the US drone strikes have killed many civilians over the past few years in a blatant violation of international law.