[TABLE][TR][TD][url]http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-20658236[/url]
[quote=BBC News][B]Somali troops and African Union forces have captured the town of Jowhar from the Islamist militant group, al-Shabab, reports say.[/B]
The troops encountered no resistance as the militants had fled, said a military spokesman and residents in the town.
Jowhar was the biggest town under the control of al-Shabab Islamists.
The al-Qaeda linked group has been driven out of most urban areas over the past two years, but still controls many rural areas of the country.
Jowhar, 90km (55 miles) north of the capital, Mogadishu, commands access to Somalia's biggest road linking the southern and central regions of the country. It is also at the heart of a rich agricultural area.
[B]'Strategic'[/B]
Correspondents say its fall is a major blow to the militants.
"We took control this morning and are now establishing security in Jowhar," a spokesman for the AU mission in Somalia, Amisom, told AFP news agency.
"Amisom troops alongside Somali National Forces entered the town, there was little fighting as the Shabab largely fled ahead of us," Col Ali Houmed said.
AFP quoted an al-Shabab spokesman as saying the militants had withdrawn "for strategic reasons" and remained "close by".
"We will hunt the invaders from inside and outside Jowhar," Abdiaziz Abu Musab said.
Al-Shabab were forced out of the capital, Mogadishu, in August 2011 by African Union troops who, with government forces, went on to take control of most of the militant-held towns.
Alongside the recent military gains, a new Somali president took office in September, raising some hopes of a return to law and order after two decades of anarchy.[/quote][/TD][TD][img]http://news.bbcimg.co.uk/media/images/64545000/gif/_64545647_som_controlled_areas_30429sep.gif[/img][/TD][/TR][/TABLE]
Woo! Africa! Nice to see at least they can handle this.
read it as al-Kebab for some reason
still, good to see at least some sort of progress down there
I think Ethiopia had another major town. This pretty much means the religious nuts are out in the sticks, just like any normal country!
[QUOTE]Somali authority[/QUOTE]
I thought such a thing was just of myth and legend
Great, soon we won't be able to make any more Somalia jokes
[QUOTE=DeEz;38765796]read it as al-Kebab for some reason
[/QUOTE]
Remove Shabab from premises.
I think Smurfy should try and get a job with the Times :v:
For some perspective on this, here was the situation on January 1st, 2011:
[t]http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/archive/9/9f/20110108013112%21Somalia_map_states_regions_districts.png[/t]
And Wikipedia's most recent updated image from the 13th of October, 2012:
[t]http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/9f/Somalia_map_states_regions_districts.png[/t]
[QUOTE=1nfiniteseed;38768952]Remove Shabab from premises.[/QUOTE]
Now I have to go find an Oud and play the melody from that video... Damn it.
[QUOTE=ewitwins;38769031]I think Smurfy should try and get a job with the Times :v:[/QUOTE]
Better yet, we FP lot should go and start our own publication. Because fuck professionalism.
[QUOTE=Irkalla;38771127]Now I have to go find an Oud and play the melody from that video... Damn it.
Better yet, we FP lot should go and start our own publication. Because fuck professionalism.[/QUOTE]
The Facepunch Daily:
[I]Where there's 3000 writers and they all complain about each other[/I]
I saw Somalia on the map and automatically thought of Kool Keith.
[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ITIYVqQ4qwI[/media]
[QUOTE=A B.A. Survivor;38771882]The Facepunch Daily:
[I]Where there's 3000 writers and they all complain about each other[/I][/QUOTE]
Honestly, I think I'd subscribe :v:
I can't wait to see a fully united Somalia, free from war and mass poverty. I'd say give it 20 years before it becomes a decent country.
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