Many of the victims died when stray artillery fire hit a bus station. Tension has been building around Bakara market, long a stronghold of Al Qaeda-inspired Shebaab rebels, for the past 10 days and the vast majority of traders moved their wares out several days ago.
The Shebaab had been digging in in trenches inside the market, while government forces and their African Union AU backers had taken up positions around it. Somali government officials confirmed the fighting and claimed they were advancing onto new positions previously held by the Shebaab. We took control of some key positions this morning The attempt to rout the Shebaab from Bakara is part of a broader sweep, initiated in February, to regain ground in Mogadishu.
The new push has enabled the transitional government and its AU backers, at one point reduced to controlling just a few blocks in Mogadishu, to reclaim around half the capital. Subscribe now for Gulf Times. By signing up with an email address, I acknowledge that I have read and agree to the Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.
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