Saturday, October 23, 2010
advertisements
A failed attempt by Somalia’s strongest insurgent group, the Shabab, to recapture a district in southwestern Somalia near the Kenyan border from government forces, has left at least 20 people dead and 12 wounded, a commander said Friday.
Somali government forces took over the Beled-Hawa District last Sunday in an offensive to take back areas held by militants. Shabab militants had taken control of the area in January 2009 after Ethiopian troops, who had supported Somalia’s transitional government, withdrew from Somalia.
Col. Barre Aden Shire, a commander of the pro-government force in Beled-Hawa, claimed victory over the Shabab during Thursday’s overnight battle, and said the majority of those killed were militia members.
Calls to Shabab leaders for comment went unanswered.
source: AP