Al-Shabaab seizes town in central after AU troops pull out

Al-Shabaab militants retook control of a key town in central Somalia hours after it was abandoned by Ethiopian troops under African Union peacekeepers, residents and the group said.

Residents in Elbur said that Ethiopian troops withdraw, allowing the Al Qaida-affiliated Al Shabaab fighters to enter without encountering resistance.

The reason for the troops’ withdrawal from the town was not clear.

“Truck ferrying Al Shabaab fighters entered the town without a battle, whereas Ethiopian troops withdrew,” said a resident who spoke on a condition of anonymity.

Ethiopian troops were seen on Monday morning evacuating their bases in Elbur.

Al-Shabaab said it took Elbur town after the Ethiopian soldiers vacated the town.

“We entered Elbur town the minute the Ethiopian troops left early this morning. We now fully control it,” said the group in a statement.

Al-Shabaab has in the past staged multiple attacks against AMISOM bases, as part of its guerrilla warfare strategy to drive out foreign troops and topple Somalia’s Western-backed government in the capital Mogadishu.