From: Biniam Haile \(SWE\) (eritrea.lave@comhem.se)
Date: Sun Aug 10 2008 - 18:18:15 EDT
Islamists Seize Provincial Capital Near Ethiopian Border
By VOA News
08 August 2008
Witnesses in Somalia say Islamist insurgents have seized control of
Hudur, the capital of the Bakool region.
The insurgent group al-Shabab says on its Web site that its fighters
entered Hudur early Friday after government-allied soldiers fled the
town late Thursday.
The governor of Bakool confirmed in a phone interview with VOA's Somali
service that he and other officials have left the town.
The Bakool region borders Ethiopia, which has thousands of troops in
Somalia supporting the country's U.N.-backed administration led by
President Abdullahi Yusuf.
Anti-government insurgents have captured other provincial towns in
recent months but have usually withdrawn after a short time.
Islamists briefly controlled much of Somalia in 2006 before a joint
offensive by the government and Ethiopia pushed them from power.
Insurgents have waged an 18-month effort to drive out the Ethiopians and
topple the government.
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