Al Shabaab fighters attacked a town in central Somalia on Wednesday that government forces have been using as a staging area for their efforts to drive back the militants, who have been gaining ground in recent weeks, residents said.
Advances by the al Qaeda affiliate, which included briefly capturing villages within 50km (30 miles) of Mogadishu last month, have left residents of the capital on edge amid rumours al Shabaab could target the city.
