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Somali, AU forces seize Al-Shabaab-held town

25 May 2012 21:25 (UTC +04:00)

Baku-APA. The Somali government forces back by African Union peacekeeping troops on Friday captured the strategic town of Afgoye from the Al-Shabaab forces, APA reports quoting Xinhua.

The Somali government forces and those of the African Union peacekeeping Mission (AMISOM) have been battling fighters of the radical Al-Shabaab group since Tuesday for control of Afgoye, 30 km northwest of the capital Mogadishu.

"Somali government soldiers and AMISOM peacekeepers who were earlier besieged Afgoye district.. have now secured control of the district," State-run Radio Mogadishu reported.

Reports from Afgoye in the Lower Shabelle region said that Somali government forces and AU peacekeepers have taken positions in key locations in the town including the main road junctions and local police station.

The fighters of Al-Shabaab left Afgoye hours before the advancing government and AU troops entered.

Nearly 400,000 displaced people, who fled violence and drought in southern Somalia, live along the corridor that links Mogadishu and Afgoye, according to the UN.

Thousands of people have been fleeing the fighting in the areas back to Mogadishu since the offensive began early in the week.

Somali government official and AMISOM commanders said the offensive will continue until Al-Shabaab fighters are driven out of the Lower Shabelle and Middle Shabelle provinces to the south and north of the capital respectively.

Afgoye, a key agricultural town, has been under the control of Al Shabaab for the past three years and is a main gateway to other towns in the south and north of the Somali capital Mogadishu.

Al-Shabaab which this year merged with al-Qaida has recently been facing mounting military pressure and has lost territory in the south and center of Somalia.

Neighboring Kenya and Ethiopia deployed troops to areas along their respective border with Somalia and have taken control of a number of towns and villages in the south and center of the country while the Somali government forces as well as AU peacekeepers seized the whole of Somali capital from Al-Shabaab last year.