Somali officials say al-Shabab militants shot dead nine civilians in a suburb of Mogadishu Monday.

Officials say the militants attacked 11 civilians who were cleaning the streets and started shooting them in Lafole suburb, Lower Shabelle region. Lafole is about 20km west of Mogadishu.

Regional governor Mohamed Ibrahim Barre told VOA Somali that six women and three men were killed by the militants; the other two workers were injured in the attack.

Barre said the militants do not want the people to clean the streets because they use the garbage, trees and undergrowth to disguise their improvised explosive devices.

Meanwhile, the United States military has reported carrying out four new strikes against al-Shabab in Lower Shabelle region. The U.S. Africa command said the strikes targeted al-Shabab facilities and checkpoints in Kunyo Barrow, Jannaale and Awdhegle, killing two militants.

The al-Shabab militant group claimed the two people killed were civilians including a child. The U.S. military said no civilians were killed or injured in the strikes.
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