A government-allied Somali militia killed at least 45 al-Shabab fighters and beheaded some of them, three witnesses said on Sunday, as citizens in central regions of the country increasingly take up arms against the insurgents. Al-Shabab, an al-Qaida-linked Islamist group, has been fighting Somalia's weak central government since 2006. "Now, we are doing the same: we have ordered the beheading of al-Shabab fighters," he told Reuters. Videos widely shared on Telegram showed at least two beheaded alleged al-Shabab fighters and dozens more dead bodies in fatigues and red-and-white checked scarves. On Saturday, the federal government sent troops to reinforce Galmudug fighters, the Somali National News Agency said.

Source: Ethiopian News September 19, 2022 08:47 UTC