The world in brief: Somali army clashes with extremists

Rescuers search for survivors following an avalanche Friday in Nyingchi, southwest China’s Tibet Autonomous Region.
(AP/Xinhua/Sun Fei)
Rescuers search for survivors following an avalanche Friday in Nyingchi, southwest China’s Tibet Autonomous Region. (AP/Xinhua/Sun Fei)

Somali army clashes with extremists

MOGADISHU, Somalia -- Somalia's government and al-Qaida-linked fighters both claimed more than 100 people were killed Friday in their deadliest battle since the government launched a major military offensive against the extremists in August.

The government in a statement asserted that more than 100 al-Shabab extremists died after they attacked a Somali National Army base in the Galgudud region village of Galcad that was recently retaken from the fighters' control.

The government statement said seven soldiers, including an officer from the elite, U.S.-trained Danab brigade, were killed in the "intense attack" but asserted that the military remained in control of the base. The government expressed gratitude to international allies that assisted in the battle.

A spokesman for the al-Shabab extremists, Sheikh Abu Musab, asserted that more than 150 Somali soldiers and officers were killed.

Neither side's claim could be independently verified, but Galcad resident Abukar Uluso told The Associated Press there was heavy gunfire exchanged.

"It was during the dawn prayer when I heard the sound of explosions followed by an exchange of gunfire," Uluso said. "Most fatalities were among the two sides, and the civilian casualties are minimal since the attack took place inside the army base."

Al-Shabab has thousands of fighters, has long held parts of central and southern Somalia, and often carries out attacks in the capital, Mogadishu.

Suicide drones strike U.S. base in Syria

BEIRUT -- Three suicide drones attacked a U.S. base Friday in eastern Syria, wounding two Syrian opposition fighters, the U.S. military said. No Americans were hurt in the attack.

It was not clear who was behind the drone attack, but Iran-backed fighters in the region have carried out such operations in the past. Sleeper cells of the Islamic State group are also active in the area.

Two of the drones were shot down and the third struck the compound at al-Tanf base where the borders of Syria, Iraq and Jordan meet, the U.S. military said.

The military said the drone that struck the building wounded two members of the Syrian Free Army, who received medical treatment.

The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, an opposition war monitor, said the attack was likely carried out by Iran-backed fighters who are deployed in different parts of war-torn Syria.

"Attacks of this kind are unacceptable -- they place our troops and our partners at risk and jeopardize the fight against ISIS," U.S. military spokesman Joe Buccino said, using an acronym for the Islamic State group.

There are roughly 900 U.S. troops in Syria, including in the north and the farther south and east of the country.

Nigeria confirms diphtheria outbreak

KANO, Nigeria -- Nigerian health authorities confirmed an outbreak of diphtheria Friday and reported that 25 people, most of them children, have died so far in one of the worst-hit states in the country's north.

The total number of confirmed cases and deaths is not yet known. Nigeria's Centre for Disease Control and Prevention has initiated an emergency response to the outbreak and is monitoring the situation in four of the nation's 36 states, Dr. Ifedayo Adetifa, the agency's head, said in a statement.

The health commissioner in Kano state, Dr. Aminu Tsanyawa, said the state has recorded more than 70 suspected cases along with 25 deaths related to the bacterial infection.

Diphtheria causes breathing difficulties, heart failure and paralysis. The people most at risk are unvaccinated or live in crowded areas or where there is poor sanitation.

Nigeria has not had a diphtheria outbreak of this magnitude in recent years, although the capacity to diagnose the disease and treat patients is limited in many remote areas.

Authorities were first alerted about an outbreak among children in a Kano state hospital in late December, according to Dr. Abdullahi Kauran-Mata, the state's chief epidemiologist.

"Immediately we got the information, we quickly mobilized our team through the ministry of health, and the investigation started," Kauran-Mata said.

More bodies found in Tibet avalanche

BEIJING -- More bodies were found Friday following an avalanche that buried vehicles outside a highway tunnel in Tibet, raising the death toll to 28, Chinese state broadcaster CCTV reported.

Images from the scene at the exit of the tunnel connecting the city of Nyingchi in Tibet's southwest with an outlying county showed about half a dozen backhoes digging through deep snow. Reports said around 1,000 rescuers had joined the effort.

Tons of snow and ice collapsed onto the mouth of the tunnel on Tuesday evening, trapping drivers in their vehicles.

Many of the people were headed home for China's Lunar New Year holiday, which starts Sunday.

Nyingchi lies at an elevation of nearly 10,000 feet about a five-hour drive from the regional capital, Lhasa.


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