Islamist militant group retake a town in Somalia

Islamist militant group al Shabaab has retaken another town in Somalia from  the African Union troops, adding to a string of settlements it has seized this month, the group and an  official, Ali Nur, the acting governor of Lower Shabelle region confirmed.

Al Shabaab retook the town of Janale, about 90 km (55 miles) south of the capital Mogadishu, on Thursday.

This month, the group attacked another base of African Union forces in Janale area, killing at least 12 Uganda troops, and has retaken at least three other towns in southern and central Somalia.

The government has dismissed the gains by al Shabaab, saying the areas retaken are not of strategic value. But the recent Islamist offensive has highlighted the group's ability to keep up the pressure on the Western-backed government it wants to topple, using both its military force alongside its more frequent suicide bomb and gun attacks.

The African AMISOM force and the Somali army had pushed al Shabaab out of major strategic centres  into smaller pockets of territory.

The group, which once ruled much of Somalia, still holds some settlements and rural areas, which can often be used to isolate towns by cutting off supply routes.

(Source: Reuters)