Breaking News: Xasan Turki attacks captures Jowhar Sharif Ahmed's base

[General Duke]

Somali militants capture key town

Islamist fighters have been gaining ground on the Somali government

Hardline Islamist militants have captured a strategically important town north of the Somali capital, Mogadishu, eyewitnesses say.

 

Members of al-Shabab, a group fighting government forces in Somalia, seized the town of Jowhar on Sunday morning.

 

One resident told Reuters that there had been "serious fighting" in which at least seven people had been killed.

 

Jowhar was in 2005 chosen as the temporary location for the country's transitional government.

 

The Somali government has been losing ground in recent weeks and now controls little more than the centre of the capital, with the support of African Union troops.

 

On 15 May, Somalia's president appealed to Islamist insurgents to negotiate as intermittent fighting continued in Mogadishu.

 

Jowhar is the home town of President Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed - and now that the country's rainy season has arrived, the town is also the only passable route into central Somalia from the capital.

 

Describing the clashes in Jowhar, town elder Ali Moalim Hassan told news agency AFP that "the other Islamist militia backing the government deserted their positions" - ceding control of the town to al-Shabab.

 

Al-Shabab is believed to have attacked the town on Sunday morning on two fronts. After entering the town, militants took over the jail and released prisoners.

 

At the same time, al- Shabab again attacked government positions in Mogadishu with mortars.The government's forces responded with their own artillery barrage.

 

Reports from the capital say at least three civilians died in the exchange.

 

The government is thought to be attempting to bring in reinforcements to retake Jowhar.

 

The BBC's East Africa correspondent Peter Greste says the loss of the town is a strategic blow to the increasingly unstable government led by Sheikh Ahmed.

 

The African Union's envoy has said that if need be, it would call on the help of allies like Nato and the European Union, who are operating warships on anti-piracy missions off the Somali coast.

[General Duke]

Xoogaga mucaaradka oo la wareegay Degmada Jowhar

17 May 17, 2009 - 3:19:33 PM

 

Maleeshiyo taabacsan ururka hubeysan ee Al-shabaab ayaa dagaal kula wareegay degmada Jowhar ee xarunta gobolka Sh/dhexe baqadii maanta, iyadoo dagaalkaas uu dhaliyay khasaare nafeed.

 

Inta la xaqiijiyay 3-askari oo ka tirsan ciidamada Maxkamadaha Islaamka ayaa ku dhintay dagaalka, iyadoo afar kalena ay ku dhaawacmeen, waxaana mas'uuliyiinta maamulka iyo ciidamo la socda ay si dhaqso badan uga baxeen magaalada.

 

Dagaal kale oo u dhexeeya Maxkamadaha Islaamka iyo Al-shabaab ayaa iyaguna ka socda deegaanka Garsaale oo dhanka koonfureed kaga beegan Jowhar 28-km; lamana oga khasaaraha uu dhaliyay dagaalkan.

 

Saldhiga booliiska iyo xarunta maamulka Gobolka ayaa waxaa ku sugan ciidamo taabacsan Al-shabaab, iyadoo ganacsiga magaalada oo dhan uu xiran yahay, waxaana dadku ay la fajacsan yihiin isbadalka dhacay.

 

"Xaaladu haatan waa mid dagan... dadkuna waxay ku sugan yihiin jidadka si ay wax uga ogaadaan isabadalka dhacay... ganacsiga oo dhan wuu xiran yahay iyadoo magaalada lagu arkayo gaadiid dagaal oo fara badan" ayuu goobjooge ku sugan Jowhar u sheegay Garowe Online.

 

Saraakiil ka tirsan Al-shabaab ayaa iyaguna sheegay in gaadiidkooda iyo ciidamadooda weerarka lagu qaaday, balse ay iyagu u socdeen deegaanka Wabxo iyo Degmada Maxaas ee Gobolada Hiiraan iyo Galguduud oo ay dagaalo ka socdeen.

 

Mas'uuliyiin ka tirsan dowlada oo aan la hadalnay ayaa qabsashada shaki geliyay, iyagoo sheegay inay og yihiin inay weli dagaalo socdaan; balse wariyeyaal ku sugan degmadaas ayaa xaqiijiyay in magaalada ay gacanta ugu jirto Al-shabaab.

 

Gobolada Sh/dhexe iyo Hiiraan ayaa laga taageersanaa dowlada Somalia, iyadoo ay kooxaha Al-shabaab iyo Xisbul Islam ay maamulka Hiiraan la galeen dagaalo ay ku doonayeen inay ku qabsadaan Gobolkaas.

 

GAROWE ONLINE

[Paragon]

So this is the hot news, huh? Damn. Damn. Damn. I guess I wasn't doing enough cyber-ku-dirir lately.

 

War wax ma idiin sheegaa? Meesha wax qabsandey ma laha ee dabinno aan Al_Shabaab u daadinney ayaan rabnaa ineey dalaq ku soo yiraahdaan. Waannu qabqabaneynaa wuxuba. CALAA KULLI MIDH!

[Kashafa]

War wax ma idiin sheegaa? Meesha wax qabsandey ma laha ee dabinno aan Al_Shabaab u daadinney ayaan rabnaa ineey dalaq ku soo yiraahdaan.

Laugh out loud line of 2009:

 

Waannu qabqabaneynaa wuxuba. CALAA KULLI MIDH!

[Paragon]

Hey, Xagjirka dil gartiisana sii weeye adeer.