MARKA, Somalia -- Heavy fighting erupted in Gobale vicinity of Lower Shabelle region between the loyalists of Al Shabaab chief Ahmed Godane and former Al Shabaab spokesman Sheikh Mukhtar Robow (Abu Mansur) on Saturday, Garowe Online reports. Local reports say that the fighting lasted for nearly "seven hours" with Robow loyalists gaining the upper hand."The battle began Saturday's afternoon and stopped at midnight, Militants loyal to Robow are now controlling the area and the local communities fled here," said an eyewitness who spoke on condition of anonymity
"Many militants including two foreigners died in the battle and one of the foreigners seemed as battle commander," he added.
As dissension and splitting continue to spread within Al Shabaab ranks, in an audio recording provided to Somali media last week, Ahmed Godane, Al Shabaab chief, said an enemy wants to split 'Mujahedeen" lines and I warn those figures not to encourage the group's division.
Sheikh Robow is one of senior Al Shabaab members who accused Godane of straying from the path of Jihad and following an attempt to arrest him by Godane militants months ago; he escaped from Ramo Adey village of Bay region where he had bases.
Al Shabaab militants loyal to Ahmed Godane previously executed Godane's deputy Ibrahim Haji Jama (Micad) and Abdihamid Hashi Olhaye (Moallim Burhan) in Barawe, a coastal town in Lower Shabelle region.
The growing violent dispute within Al Qaeda linked Al Shabaab group also resulted to be detained one of their prominent officials, Hassan Dahir Aweys who had been serving in different administrative capacities by the Somali Federal Government after he fled to his native region of Galgudud in late June 2013.