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About 30 people were killed Monday as Somali villagers attacked al-Shabaab militants who tried to impose taxes on them, officials and residents said.
Residents and local security forces clashed with the militants in Dumaaye village and its surroundings near the port of Harardheere in central Galmudug region.
“Locals, including nomadic people, took up arms against al-Shabaab fighters who want to loot their resources, including livestock,” a regional senior official said.
The 30 fatalities included 26 militants, Galmudug Security Minister Osman Isse Nur said.
He added that the regional authorities had sent additional security forces to help villagers keep al-Shabaab at bay.
The Islamist group, which has battled the Somali government for a decade, issued no comment.
