Somalia: Hundreds of families fleeing from Mogadishu for the first time in three years

Published: February 20, 2014
Hundreds of families fleeing from Mogadishu for the first time in three years
File Photo

Hundreds of families have started to flee from their respective homes in the Northern part of Mogadishu after fresh clashes between Somali government troops backed by the African union peacekeepers and Al-Shabab militants emerged.

For the past few months, Insecurity has emerged in the northern neighborhoods after al-Shabab militants launched night attacks on Somali and AMISOM troops bases in Huriwa district.

The mayor of the district Omar Abdulle Ja’afan warned  that the district might fall back into the hands of al-Shabab militants, who were driven out of it two years ago.

‘’ The government should send reinforcement to the district otherwise it will be overtaken by the terrorists,’’ said the mayor.

One of the residents fleeing said they left their homes to seek for refuge in other parts of the city.

Al-Shabab were pushed out of Mogadishu in August 2011 by the Somali government troops and AMISOM peacekeepers after a large offensive, the group claimed to have left the capital as a ‘’change of military tactics’’.

Since then, it has carried out assassinations and suicide attacks in various parts of the capital, killing Government officials, aid workers and Civilians.

Ayub Abdirahman
Horseed Media

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