Somalia: Laftagareen forces capture southern towns

Forces loyal to ousted South West State leader Abdiaziz Hassan Mohamed Laftagareen captured several key towns in southern Somalia on Saturday, officials and eyewitnesses said.

Military officials said his forces took Berdale, Dinsoor, Buurhakaba, Qansaxdheere and Awdiinle, a town about 30 kilometres from Baidoa. The gains left the federally backed local government and its allies without control of much of the state.

South West Information Minister Nur Sidow Baba told a press conference in Baidoa that districts now held by Laftagareen's forces would be brought back under government control.

Laftagareen said in a statement that forces loyal to him had “successfully recaptured and liberated four districts”.

Residents described rapid changes in control. Berdale resident Suleyman Nurow said armed Darawish forces loyal to Laftagareen arrived on motorcycles and took control without resistance. He said local officials fled to a nearby base hosting the African Union mission, while Ethiopian troops there did not intervene.

Officials and residents said most of the takeovers were conflict-free, though clashes were reported during the takeover of Buurhakaba.