Al Shabab seizes town in Somalia

The militant group claims 47 government soldiers were killed in the skirmish

Somali militant group Al Shabab has retaken a small town in the centre of the country after it was abandoned by government troops, residents said on Saturday.

Fighting broke out in the town of Muqokori, about 300km north of Mogadishu, late on Friday, about a month after government troops ousted the insurgents.

“Al Shabab attacked from various sides. After one hour of fighting, the government forces left and Al Shabab seized control,” Hussain Nur, a local elder, told Reuters by phone.

The militant group claimed that 47 government soldiers had died in the fighting.

“We have their dead bodies,” said Abdiasis Abu Musab, al Shabab’s military operations spokesman, adding they had captured four vehicles and dozens of weapons.

The military said the insurgents were not in full control and that soldiers had been withdrawn for strategic reasons.

“There were only a few soldiers there and they left the town for tactical reasons,” Major Abdullahi Aden told Reuters, adding their positions were being reinforced. He did not give details of casualties.

Al Shabab militants are fighting to topple Somalia’s Westernbacked central government and to rule the Horn of Africa country according to a strict interpretation of the Sharia.

Separately, the group also attacked a military base in the semi-autonomous region of Puntland the same day, killing several soldiers.