Nairobi (dpa) – Somalia government and African Union peacekeeping forces on Friday seized new areas in Somalia from insurgent group al-Shabab, expanding the government's sphere of influence outside the capital Mogadishu. Pro-government forces advanced for 4 kilometers, taking several villages and a strategic hill, the African Union force known as AMISOM said. “The operation was a great success, with limited fighting,” Force Commander Major General Fred Mugisha said in a statement. “With the support of TFG (Transitional Federal Government) troops, AMISOM has achieved a major military objective by securing the whole of Mogadishu, enabling the Somali government to pursue long-term peace and security for the Somali people,” he added. There was no immediate comment from al-Shabab. The al-Qaeda-linked insurgent group has been on the back foot since early last year, ceding ground across the country. It withdrew from conventional fighting in Mogadishu in August, concentrating instead on a campaign of suicide bombs and assassinations. The UN Security Council has approved an increase in the AMISOM force from the mandated 12,000 – which the contingent had yet to reach – to 17,700. AMISOM, which for years stayed within the capital propping up the internationally-backed government, said once these forces were in place it would expand its mission to the whole of south and central Somalia. Al-Shabab's insurgency began in 2007 and is the latest episode in over two decades of strife which began after the 1991 ouster of dictator Mohamed Siad Barre. BM ShortURL: http://goo.gl/FRlNT Tags: African Union, Shabab, Somalia, Troops Section: East Africa, Latest News
