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Ethiopian troops pull out of al-Bur in central Somalia
(Sh. M. Network)-Columns of Ethiopian troops and pro government Ahlu Sunna Waljama'a ASWJ fighters backed by armored vehicles have on Sunday pulled out completely from the main town of Al Bur in Galgadud region, central Somalia, local residents said.Residents say the Al Qaeda-linked Al shabab militants recaptured the town ofEl Burshortly after pro-government forces arrived on Sunday, accompanied by members of the moderate Islamist ASWJ militia, which is fighting alongside Somalia's UN-backed government. "We woke up this morning seeing Ethiopian armored personnel carriers withdrawing from the town, and Al shabab fighters pouring into the city without a single shot," El Bur residents reported. Questions rose about the withdrawal of Ethiopian troops from El Bur town, which lies just about 150 kilometers (90 miles) south of the Ethiopian border. Ethiopian troops re-entered Somalia last year to help Somali government war on Al shabab and have taken positions in south-central Somalia. Al Shabaab still controls some of southern and central Somali regions, but is under increasing pressure from Somali, Kenyan forces and African Union (AU) forces in the south and Ethiopian forces in the West and central. Posted by: Fred 2012-06-11 |
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