Somali, AU troops take rebel positions on outskirts of Mogadishu

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MOGADISHU, Jan. 20 (Xinhua) -- Somali government forces backed by the African Union (AU) troops on Friday seized new positions of the Islamist Al Shabaab fighters on the outskirts of the capital Mogadishu, officials said.

The concerted attack gained ground on the northeastern suburbs of the capital, where Islamist fighters from the Al Qaeda-linked Al Shabaab remained presence since defeated by the Somali and the AU forces in August 2011.

Paddy Ankunda, spokesman for the AU peacekeeping troops in Somalia (AMISOM), said the joint forces took over key positions from the radical group. He said two of the AMISOM soldiers were injured in the fighting.

Somali government officials said the offensive will continue until the rebel fighters are cleared from the outskirts of the capital.

"We have taken new positions from the anti-peace elements and we will continue until we pacify the whole of Mogadishu," Abdelkarim Yusuf Aden, Somali military commander, told reporters.

Residents in areas retaken from the Islamist fighters welcome the Somali government troops and AU peacekeepers.

"We are pleased to see the Somali military forces come to our neighborhood and liberate us from the trouble makers. We are happy today," said Ali Mohumed, a resident in Huruwaa district.

The Somali military vows to drive the rebel forces out of the peripherals of Mogadishu, where they said the remnants of Islamist insurgents organized attacks inside the city.

The radical group lately carried bomb attacks in the capital since their withdrawal. bombings became less frequent afterwards.

The Somali capital has seen unprecedented improvement in security and most of the city's residents have returned to their homes after living three years in camps outside Mogadishu.


from XINHUA

Posted in: African Union, al Shabaab, Al-Shabaab, alqaeda, Mogadishu, Somalia