Hiiaan Online
Wednesday, June 15, 2011
Nairobi, Kenya (HOL) - Tension remained high on Wednesday in the Sothern towns of Buurduba and Garbaharey in Somalia’s volatile Gedo region as insurgency group Al-Shabaab advance to secure military positions controlled by the forces of the Transitional Federal Government of Somalia (TFG).
The two key districts in the region have been at the centre of major battles where both the TFG army and Al-Shabaab fighters, are making military forays to take over the control of each other’s territories.
Eye witnesses told Hiiraan Online that sporadic fighting have been going on since early Wednesday particularly in some settlements between the two districts.
“There is no any heavy fighting so far, we are hearing gunshots around us. There are all indications for a full-blown war between TFG and Al-Shabaab fighters” said one eye witness
Resident has reported massive military planning and buildup, local villagers have since been living in fear as a result of the ongoing military activity.
Gedo has been a battle zone between the forces of the government and the Islamist group over the past few weeks when government forces have been making some progress in capturing strategic military positions.
Recently the Somali government trained more than 1000 soldiers in neighboring Doolow district, and the newly trained force is expected to boost the fighting with insurgents.
The current military tension comes barely a day after a heavy fighting that lasted for hours took place in the neighborhoods of Garbaharey, the birthplace of former president Siad Barre.
Somalia’s troubled interim government is taking Al-Shabaab in a number of fighting that it aims to dislodge the Al-Qaeda linked faction from ruling the Horn of Africa nation.
Offensives against insurgents were increasing since TFG troops allied with pro-government ASWJ forces seized the control of some districts in Gedo region last month.
A few weeks ago Somalia's defense minister briefly met with TFG and Ethiopian military officers in Beled-Hawo town of Gedo Region to discuss Ethiopia's role in the war against al-Shabaa militants.
Defense Minister Abdi Hakim Haji Fiji recently told the local media that Ethiopia agreed to conduct more offensives with the TFG against Al-Shaabaab.
Military sources indicated that the TFG has been planning a new strategy to eradicate the insurgents in South and Central Somalia largely ruled by the group.