News
Somalia launches offensive against al-Shabaab forces
Heavy fighting broke out in Somalia’s capital on Monday after pro-government forces attacked militant positions following what the African Union force said were the deaths of at least 12 Somali civilians because of militants’ mortars.
Residents in Mogadishu’s northern neighborhoods fled explosions and gunfire as African Union and Somali troops made a push toward positions held by al-Shabab militants.
Al-Shabab fled Mogadishu in August in what its leaders said was a tactical pullout. But the militant group returned in a big way last week, setting off a truck bomb that killed more than 100 people as students tried to learn if they had won a scholarship to attend school in Turkey.
The African Union force on Monday said the latest military battle was launched to push militants back from a range where their mortars can hit civilians. Spokesman Lt. Col. Paddy Ankunda said 12 civilians were killed Sunday from such attacks.
The force commander, Maj. Gen. Fred Mugisha, said that a “small number” of al-Shabab militants remain a threat in northern Mogadishu.
Al-Shabab “will be judged harshly for the lives they take and the atrocities they commit. We need the support of all peace-loving Somalis to help us restore peace and stability to the city,” Mugisha said.
Ali Haji, a Mogadishu resident, said he saw Somali soldiers stationed near the fighting. He said residents were fleeing.
