Two Transitional Federal Government (TFG) soldiers died and two others were injured

At least two Transitional Federal Government (TFG) soldiers died and two others were injured when government forces fought with the pro-government ogaden clan  militia Ras Kamboni in Dhobley district late Thursday, residents said. The fighting, during which both sides used heavy artillery and machine guns, erupted after government troops attempted to free jailed TFG soldiers from a police station in the center of the district, which Ras Kamboni controls. “TFG soldiers attacked the police station, trying to free some of their soldiers,” one resident told terror free somalia . “ogaden clan Ras Kamboni fighters defended themselves; in the end top TFG officials arrived in the area and mediated.”Another resident in Dhobley, who spoke to terrorfree somalia  on condition of anonymity, said the fighting was based on a clan rift between the Marehan and Ogaden clans. The two sides are fighting over who will get to control the Lower and Middle Juba regions, provided they can seize them from militant Islamist group al-Shabaab.“Most of TFG soldiers are Marehan clan, and all Ras Kamboni fighters are Ogaden, so there is a long-standing conflict between the two clans based on the ownership of the two regions” he said, “But they are fighting for what is not in hand, because al-Shabaab is still controlling those regions”.Meanwhile, tension is high in El Wak district of Gedo region, after a misunderstanding between two TFG factions over tax collected from traders. Locals told terror free somali  that the two sides are close to fighting.The government has made gains in border regions, and is hoping to push al-Shabaab harder after the insurgent group's departure from Mogadishu, but splits between the collection of militias and clans that make up the pro-government forces in the area could threaten this plan.