Somalia: Al-Shabab to attack presidential palace

MOGADISHU (Mareeg)—The Somali Islamist movement of al-Shabab is going to launch a big offensive to the presidential palace to overthrow the fledgling government, sources told Mareeg on Tuesday.



The move comes as thousands of civilians fled from the capital, and it is unpredictable what will happen to the remaining civilians in Mogadishu if the plan puts on practice.


Sources say Somali officials of al-Shabab suggested a plan to attack and capture the presidential palace but the Shabab foreign officials said it is good to use artillery at first to weaken the power of the government soldiers and the AU troops who are defending the president and his staff.




Sheik Hussein Ali Fidow, the head of policy and regions of al-Shabab confirmed that foreign fighters are fighting along them and he warned against the people to describe expatriates.




The Shabab officials had a meeting in a house in the corner district of Deyniile in Mogadishu and decided to launch a big offensive to dislodge the fragile government from the country.




Residents said that at least 18 battle wagons from Kismayu have reached in Mogadishu on Tuesday to participate the fighting against the government.




The Islamists are making reinforcement from Gedo, Bay, and Bakol regions in southern Somalia to overthrow the UN-recognized government and establish an Islamic state in Somalia.




The African Union troops are defending some key areas in Mogadishu like the presidential palace, the port, and the airport.

amsomalia@mareeg.com

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Somalia: Al-Shabab to disarm key Islamist leader-source

Mareeg.com-2009-05-11-here is emerging new sudden difference over power between the radical Islamist
groups of Al-Shabab and Hizbul Islam that jointly captured most of the Somalia
capital Mogadishu in heavy battle with the pro-government moderate Islamists,
reports say on Monday.

The disparity came when the Hizbul Islam fighters loyal to Sheik Hassan Dahir Aweys,
the prime Islamist rebel leader confiscated all the weapons of Yusuf Mohamed Siad
Indha-Adde that supporting the government during the latest war in the capital..

Reports confirmed to Waagacusub Media that senior Al-Shabab commanders made
telephone contact with Aweys ordering him to hand over all the arms that his men
seized in the battle and join their group within 48 hours.

He insisted that he will not give his weapons to Al-Shabab and said these are the
arms by the Mujahideens to fight.
If this continues to its acceleration it will cause war between Al-Shabab and Hizbul
Islam.

Earlier, Aweys suggested to form an a new name of Islamic organization in which all
the Islamist groups can unite but the proposal was met a total rejection by
Al-Shabab.

Sheik Hassan Dahir Aweys, who is on the US list of terrorists, has been living in
exile in Eritrea for two years and returned to Somalia last month to strengthen the
rebellion against the government led Sharif Sheik Ahmed..

Al-Shabab and its foreign militants linking to the international terror network of
Al-Qaeda committed gross human violations in Somalia during what they called ‘The
Jihad war’.
By Dahir Abdulle Alasow
dahiralasow@yahoo.com

Somalia: Abu Mansur Al-Imriki seen in Mogadishu

MOGADISHU (Mareeg)—Witnesses said they saw several foreign fighters fighting a long al-shabab including the man who has been seen his pictures in videos that the Shabab broadcasted earlier.




The residents in Towfiq area said they saw the American Islamist fighters, Amu Mansor Al-Imriki, standing in Towfiq junction.




Ali Dhere, an al-shabab official who was speaking to BBC Somali service said Muslims could not be classified as Black and white and he neither confirmed nor denied that foreigners were fighting a long their side.



Abu Mansur Al-Imriki

The information minister of the Somali government Farhan Ali Mohamoud accused al-shabab that foreigners was the driving force behind them.



"This war is led by foreign fighters who want to take control of Somalia," he said. "They waged a full attack on government positions and this is what they had planned in order to overthrow the government."

Thousands of residents, with belongings on their heads or strapped on their backs, were seen fleeing their homes. Others found themselves trapped amid the fighting.


But the situation of Mogadishu has returned to normalcy on Monday.



amsomalia@mareeg.com

Somalia: At least ten dead in Mogadishu clashes as fighting is ongoing

MOGADISHU (Mareeg) — At least ten civilians were killed in clashes Sunday between Islamist fighters backing the Somali government and a hardline Islamist group, officials and witnesses said.



About thirty people were also wounded in the fighting in Mogadishu's Yaqshid and Wardhigley districts.




The latest fighting erupted after a car of a Somali lawmaker was exploded in front of Wardhigley police station where the rebel group Hizbul Islam controls.




"The Islamist militia from Hizbul-Islam group attacked pro-government Islamic forces and heavy fighting erupted killing around five people in Yaqshid district in north Mogadishu," a resident said.



Witnesses said they a mortar shell landed on a house in Gedja’ayl neighborhood in Mogadishu and killed a civilian woman. This mortar has also wounded three civilians.


"I saw the bodies of two civilians near Fagah junction. Seven others were injured in a teashop after a mortar shell struck the building," said witness khalif.



On Saturday, at least eight people were killed and dozens wounded in clashes between the pro-government forces and another group of Islamist fighters.

A senior official at Mogadishu's Medina hospital said around 120 people had been taken in for treatment in the past three days.

Hardline Islamist militia in the capital has in recent days intensified attacks against government targets.

Some Islamist fighters have joined the government of Sharif Sheikh Ahmed, a moderate Islamist leader elected president in January.


amsomalia@mareeg.com



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