Jowhar, (insidesomalia.org)-Somali government troops fled from Middle Shabelle region when armed Islamist fighters seized the region last week have come again in Jowhar town the provincial capital of Middle Shabelle region following Ethiopian forces arrived there on Friday-residents said.

Jowhar has gone through three days of lack of administration since the administration officials have experienced sudden islamists seizure of their administrational region.

Escorted by Ethiopian forces the commissioner of Mahaday neighborhood of Middle Shabelle region Addow Rage Takow who arrived in Jowhar town has claimed that he is the deputy of commissioner of Middle Shabelle region and he added that delegates led by the commissioner of the region will recently arrive in Jowhar town.

The Ethiopian troops arrived in Jowhar on Friday dawn after the Islamist fighters have consecutively the town that 90km north of Mogadishu.

The Ethiopians have set up bases the essential checkpoints of the town including the airport of the town and outskirt of Jowhar.

Somalia's Islamist fighters seized control of the town of Jowhar after clashes with government troops that killed seven people including a child, residents last week an Islamist spokesman said.

"Seven people, including a woman who was a government soldier and her small child that she was carrying on her back were killed early in the morning when Islamic Courts fighters seized the town," resident Abdi Ali Osman said by phone.

The town north of Mogadishu served as a temporary base for the country's interim government in 2005.

"The fighting between government forces in Jowhar and Islamists continued for at least 40 minutes and the troops escaped while the Islamists released all prisoners in the town's biggest jail," Osman added.

A spokesman for the Islamic Courts forces, Abdirahin Isse Addow said four government soldiers were killed in the fighting.

"Our troops entered Jowhar at six in the morning. Few government troops fought us and we defeated them, forcing them to run away. We released all prisoners in the jail," Addow said by phone from an undisclosed location.

However the government troops reached in Jowhar town have started to expand into the town to review the administration’s offices since the Islamists burned some of the administrative centers when they have seized the town.

Source: Shabele Media Network

Comments (0)

Subscribe to this comment's feed

Write comment

Name

Email

Title

Comment

smaller | bigger

Subscribe via email (Registered users only)

I have read and agree to the Terms of Usage.

Add Comment