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Africa Horn
AU troops in Somalia makes gains
2012-04-21
MOGADISHU: African Union troops in Somalia said Friday they took control of Al-Qaeda allied Al-Shabab insurgent bases on the outskirts of Mogadishu, the latest loss for the extremist fighters.

Burundian troops with the AU force seized areas of the capitalÂ’s Banadir district late Thursday, including securing the Deynile airstrip, part of long-running efforts to drive the militants from the city. Deynile commands access to the Afgoye corridor, an area some 30 kms northwest of Mogadishu which is controlled by Al-Shabab and is home to the worldÂ’s largest concentration of internally displaced people.

No Al-Shabab official was immediately available for comment.
They were fleeing running away.
Some 410,000 people, around one third of all the displaced people in Somalia, were still living in the Afgoye corridor at the start of the year, fleeing war or drought, according to figures from the UN refugee agency.

A regional offensive has forced the Al-Shabab from many of their strongholds, with Ethiopian troops fighting in the west, AU troops in Mogadishu pushing to the outskirts of the city, and Kenyan troops battling in the south. However, the Al-Shabab say they have now begun setting up new bases in SomaliaÂ’s northern Puntland region and deny being weakened by the assaults.
"Just a flesh wound!"
Posted by:Steve White

#2  Because Mog acts as a roach motel for Somalis and they just keep going back there, time and time again. That way, at least you know where the largest concentrations of them are.
Posted by: Shieldwolf   2012-04-21 03:02  

#1  Didn't they do this before? Like multiple times?

When are they just going to say, "Screw it" and raze Mogadishu to the ground?
Posted by: DarthVader   2012-04-21 01:13  

00:00