Hiiraan Online
Tuesday, February 24, 2015
GURIEL (HOL) --- As talks between Somalia’s government and the moderate Sufi militias in central Somalia failed to come through, heavy fighting restarted in the region weeks after the government lost a key town to the militia.
Intense clashes between forces from the Ahlu-Sunna Waljama militias and government troops broke out on the outskirts of Guriel, a town Galgadud region on Tuesday. Sufi militia leaders accuse the government of violating an agreement signed by the two sides two years, however, the government official remain tightlipped on the latest development.
Local elders leading the mediation talks between the two sides expressed outrage on the fighting flare-up.
The number of casualties from the fighting remained unclear, but local residents told HOL that the two sides exchanged heavy armaments around residential areas, raising fears of civilian causalities.
Latest reports from the town said that clashes subdued late in the afternoon, however fears of a new fighting is high as two sides mobilizing forces for a potential new fighting.
Residents started fleeing the town which has seen deadly series of clashes between the two sides for the past few weeks.
Ahlu-Sunna militia have seized both Guri-el and Dhusomareb from Al-Shabab four years ago after deadly battles with the feared militant group which is fighting the Somali government and the African Union forces protecting the weak government.
The group has since defended both towns against repeated counter attack by Al-Shabab to recapture the town. Government troops and administration officials arrived the town after the two sides agreed power-sharing deal, and integrating militias into the army.