Al-shabab says they seized Elberde village in southern Somalia

Saturday, May 08, 2010

EL-BERDE - The Islamist fighters of Al-shabab have seized Elberde village of Bakol region in southern Somalia, just as the Ethiopian and the transitional government troops left the village, witnesses said on Saturday.

Locals said that more heavily armored troops of Al-shabab had entered the villages and took over its control after fighting between the two sides that continued for a while adding two people were wounded as the clash between the two sides was going on.

“The troops of the Somali government and the Ethiopians were vacating from the village until overnight. I think they got the information that Al-shabab fighters would attack the village. Some of the few soldiers remaining the areas had fought with the forces of Al-shabab and then left. Now, Elberde is under the control of Al-shabab,” said one witnesses.

The real casualties of the clashes between the two sides are unclear so far and there is no comment about the seizure of the village from both rival sides.

Elberde was one of the only two villages in the region that the transitional government controlled and bordering Ethiopia and there had reportedly been Ethiopian troops backing the transitional government as fighting between the two sides there over the past month.

Source: AllVoices