Monday, October 05, 2009
Militiamen from the Al-Qaeda-inspired Shebab group attacked Hezb al-Islam forces in a village close to Kismayo, a day after violence left eight people dead.
"The Shebab fighters attacked our positions... this morning and they lost the battle which was the heaviest in the region this week," Hezb al-Islam spokesman Osmail Haji Adow told AFP by phone.
"We captured three positions from them and several armed vehicles. We also captured three wounded men including one Kenyan national," he added.
However, a Shebab commander also claimed victory.
"We killed many of them and we still have the upper hand," Sheikh Mohamed Dhaif said. "We will not stop fighting until we get rid of those who want to derail the stability of the region."
Clashes between the two sides, which have since May been leading an onslaught against the internationally-backed government of President Sharif Sheikh Ahmed, erupted Thursday.
Hezb al-Islam leader Sheikh Hassan Dahir Aweys met top Shebab officials at the weekend to seek an end to the violence which threatens their drive against the government, but the two parties failed to resolve their differences.
"They were not able to reach an agreement on the worsening situation in Kismayo. I think war is the only option," said Sheikh Ibrahim Mohamed, a senior Hezb al-Islam official.
The Islamist militias wrested control of Kismayo from the government in August 2008, but relations between them have soured in recent weeks owing to disputes over control of the town's lucrative port.
The two factions had agreed to share power, with each governing for six months alternately, but clan politics seeped in and the rotation failed when the Shebab refused to relinquish the administration.
Source: AFP, Oct 05, 2009