Mogadishu, Somalia-Forces loyal to former South West state president Abdelaziz Hassan Mohamed Laftagaren captured the strategically important town of Burhakaba early Thursday after heavy fighting with regional troops, residents told Axadle.
Witnesses said the assault began at about 5:00a.m local time, when armed fighters moved into the town at dawn and set off intense clashes.
- Advertisement -
Residents reported hearing blasts and sustained gunfire in several parts of Burhakaba as the battle spread through the town.
The Laftagaren-aligned forces have been trying to reassert control over South West state since March, after federal government-backed troops removed the former president from power by taking Baidoa, the state’s interim capital.
The fighters have carried out at least seven attacks on Baidoa as part of their effort to recapture the interim capital.
South West state authorities and Somalia’s federal government have not yet commented on the latest development.
