Somali troops seize strategic border town

September 28, 2009 (MOGADISHU) — Somali government troops Monday defeated Islamist insurgents after a short fighting and retook the control of strategic western town on the border with Ethiopia.

Baladwayne, which lies near the Ethiopian border, has changed hands violently several times in recent months. It was a stronghold of Al Shebab insurgents.

Government forces, which entered the town at dawn from the west, fought with hard-line militias from the Hizb al-Islam and Al-Shebab for no more than 15 minutes and took control of the police station and the region’s headquarters.

“We have seized control of the town and ousted those people who were oppressing the population,” the local government spokesman, Mohamoud Nur, told AFP.

Residents say two people were killed and at least four people, including a police officer, had been wounded in the fighting.

Last month Baladwayne residents said Ethiopian forces in armoured vehicles had invaded to chase out Al-Shebab gunmen. However there are no reports about the participation of Addis Ababa troops in today attack.

A month earlier, a powerful local commander and clan leader who had been supporting the government in the region withdrew his support in protest at Ethiopia’s alleged interference.

Sheikh Abdirahman Ibrahim Ma’ow since threw his weight behind Hezb al-Islam, fighting against government forces.

US administration strongly advised Ethiopian government to not send its army to support the fragile government in Mogadishu saying it prefers to support the Somali government troops and supply it with the necessary weapons.

(ST)