By ABDULKADIR KHALIF
Friday, March 28, 2014
MOGADISHU: Eel Bur town, 320 kilometres north of Mogadishu, in Galgadud region, has fallen into the hands of the pro-government forces.
The news was confirmed by Colonel Ali Aden Hamud, the spokesman of the African Union Mission in Somalia (Amisom).
The seizure of the town was achieved following an offensive by Ethiopian troops belonging to Amisom together with the forces of the Somali National Army.
Fighters loyal to Al-Shabaab, the Al-Qaeda linked Islamist group have fled the town.
A couple of days earlier, the allied forces captured Mahas District in Hiran region, about 260 km north of Mogadishu and only 60 km west of Eel Bur town.
The final offensive waged over the last four days allowed the allied forced to seize several villages and pastoral lands, according to Mr Abdihakim Abdullahi Warsame, the Somali Government’s Deputy Governor of Galgadud region.
“Since the 22nd of March, we have been clearing Al-Shabaab militants from Dusamareb (the regional capital) to Eel Bur. We have finally reached our target, which is Eel Bur town,” said Deputy Governor Warsame.
Mr Warsame confirmed that mass displacement has taken place. “There had been mass exodus from the areas because Al-Shabaab threatened that anybody remaining behind will be treated as pro-government’’