Somali government forces with the African Union troops captured on Thursday a key town in Central Somalia from the extremist group al-Shabab, residents and Officials confirmed.
Bulo-burte, which is some 200 km north of the capital Mogadishu, is believed to have been one of the major strongholds of the militant group in Central Somalia.
It’s also a strategic town which links up several towns and regions in Central and Southern Somalia.
Djibouti and Ethiopian troops which are part of the African Union mission approached the town in the early morning hours of Thursday and most of the residents started to flee.
Reports say that there was a fighting that lasted for several hours in the outskirts which is still yet unclear the casualties.
Al-Shabab has so far lost more than five strategic towns in Southern and Central Somalia in less than two weeks.
Last week, the Islamist group leader Ahmed Abdi Godane, called for the Somali people to take the arms and fight against what he called ”old enemies” which he meant the Ethiopian troops and support the ”mujahedeens” in the front line.
Somali army and AMISOM officials have vowed to liberate towns still under the control of the al-Qaeda inspired group, which seems to change its tactic to ‘’guerrilla’’ type.
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