Region | Somalia
Somali forces capture key Islamist town
Somalia's pro-government troops captured a key southern town from their Islamist rivals on Wednesday.
- Agencies
- Published: 00:00 December 27, 2006
Mogadishu: Somalia's pro-government troops captured a key southern town from their Islamist rivals on Wednesday.
Resident Mahamud Ismail said from the town of Jowhar, 90 kilometres north of the Islamist-held capital, "The government has taken over Jowhar. I can see government troops on top of armoured vehicles chasing Islamists troops ... heading toward Mogadishu."
Witnesses said residents left their houses to cheer pro-government troops, backed by Ethiopian tanks, which pursued the Islamists as sporadic gunfire echoed in the air.
The retreating Islamists appeared to be heeding a call by their senior leader Shaikh Sharif Ahmed for forces to gather in Mogadishu to prepare for a long war against old foe Ethiopia.
"Most of our troops should converge in and around our bases in Mogadishu and should prepare for a very long war against our enemies," he told reporters late on Tuesday.
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