Militiamen loyal to the government battled al Shabaab fighters in Somalia on Wednesday as the failed Horn of Africa state spiralled further into chaos. | No, foolish journalist. Once the chaos is complete, further is a meaningless term. Like a bigger infinity, dontcha know. |
"Al Shabaab fighters ran into a mosque for refuge, but residents kept firing at them with rocket-propelled grenades," local man Aden Hussein said by telephone. Local elders later intervened, he added, and persuaded the Shabaab gunmen to lay down their arms. "We are now holding 126 of them captive," Hussein said. One of the elders told Reuters they had repeatedly told the insurgents to leave their town, which lies southwest of El Bur, a major Shabaab stronghold since 2006.
"They turned a deaf ear ... but we are ready to fight if we are attacked," said the elder, Mohamed Nur. Thousands of residents have fled parts of northern Mogadishu, the scene of some of the worst fighting in recent days. On Wednesday, heavy clashes shook the same rain-swept streets again. Few details were immediately available.