Shabaab assault on key Somali town leaves 10 dead

Fighters from the al-Qaeda-linked Shabaab group launched a major attack on a strategic town near Mogadishu on Tuesday, killing at least 10 people, including civilians, before retreating.

Witnesses and officials reported heavy clashes between Shabaab militants and Somali troops in Afgoye, which lies just 30km northwest of the capital Mogadishu.

The main target of the assault was a police post attacked with a car packed with explosives, and Somali army posts. Heavy exchanges of fire were also heard around the town.