Fighters from the Al-Qaeda-linked Shabaab group said Sunday they had retaken control of a town in central Somalia after hundreds of Ethiopian troops serving with the African Union’s AMISOM force withdrew. Al-Shabaab said on the smartphone app Telegram that their fighters had “stormed the town (of Halgan) soon after the enemy pulled out” on Sunday. “The Ethiopian soldiers pulled out of Halgan town this (Sunday) morning. Halgan, situated about 70 kilometres (40 miles) from Beledweyne, came under assault from the Al-Qaeda-linked Shabaab in June. Earlier this month hundreds of Ethiopian troops pulled out of El-Ali — also in the Hiran region — after also withdrawing from nearby Moqokori.

Source: Ethiopian News October 23, 2016 10:30 UTC