Garowe Online (Garowe)
25 October 2008
Somalia's government has claimed success after launching organized military operations to recapture several towns from Islamist insurgents, Radio Garowe reported Saturday.
Col. Abdullahi Hassan Barise, spokesman for the national police command, told reporters that government forces recaptured towns in Bay and Bakool regions.
"The districts of Bardale, Ufurow, Buurhakaba, Qansah-Dheere, Wajid and Huddur," Col. Barise declared, while denying that government troops suffered heavy losses during the operation against insurgents.
The Islamist guerrilla group al Shabaab has maintained control of these remote townships in recent months, where they organized attacks on Baidoa, capital of Bay region and seat of the country's national parliament.
Radio Garowe could not independently confirm the operation' s casualties, but international media reported at least six deaths. Full story
Somali troops led by Bay Deputy Governor Shine Moallim Nur arrived in Wajid and Huddur towns Saturday, but did not meet any armed resistance according to locals.
Huddur is the provincial capital of Bakool region, which lies adjacent to Ethiopia.
On Friday night, insurgents launched mortars on Baidoa airstrip, which is a major base for Ethiopian troops in the region. Residents reported hearing at least ten mortar explosions.
Ambush
In Lower Shabelle region, Ethiopian troops traveling from Baidoa to Mogadishu were ambushed by insurgents.
At least seven people - four insurgents and three Ethiopian soldiers - were killed during the fierce battle that erupted in Lego.
Muktar Robow "Abu Mansur," the al Shabaab spokesman, claimed responsibility for the ambush by saying that the insurgents "prevented" Ethiopian forces from reaching Mogadishu.
He also rejected claims that government forces now control key towns, saying: "We were in Baidoa [last night]."
The Somali government's operation against al Shabaab bases comes on the heels of an ongoing peace process with elements of the Islamic Courts Union.
Somali police spokesman Col. Barise said government forces "did not attack Islamic Courts positions," but attacked "only al Shabaab fighters."
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