Somalia’s Islamist opposition fighters Al-Shabaab on Friday night withdrew its militants from the restive capital Mogadishu following intense artillery shelling from forces of the Transitional Federal Government of Somalia (TFG) backed by the African Union peace keeping mission to Somalia (AMISOM)

Al-Shabaab spokesman Sheikh Ali Mohamud Rage told Radio Andulus “the voice of the islamists” that their militants are out of Mogadishu as part of their own military strategy.

“The reason why we moved our forces out is to change our military and battle tactics. We have also moved out in a bid to safe the lives of troubled residents” Rage told Radio Andulus.

“But in the next few hours we will conduct a wave of military battles to wipe out AMISOM and TFG forces”.

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http://www.hiiraan.c … ut_of_mogadishu.aspx

As rebels and government forces continue to faceoff across Libya the Libyan Govt spokesperson has now said that it has control over the coastal town of Zlitan which the rebels were trying to occupy for the past few weeks.

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Libyan rebels said on Wednesday they had fought off a counter-attack on their positions around Zlitan, a town they hope will pave the way for an advance on the capital, Tripoli.

Tuesday’s assault by forces loyal to Moammar Gadhafi led to fierce street battles that killed at least seven rebels, exposing the fragility of gains by rebels who are fighting on several fronts but are frequently out-gunned and out-manoeuvred.

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The Armed Forces has arrested the commander of the Justice and Equality Movement - South Kordofan Sector (Hamad) who formed a military faction of the movement at the Nuba Mountains area after the rebel movement was defeated in Al-Tais area.

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Officials from Somalia’s semi-autonomous state of Puntland and local Islamist militiamen met after years of hostilities to discuss and reach agreement, officials said.

The meeting took place in parts of Nugal region of northern Somalia where a delegation representing Mohamed Said Atom, the leader of Puntland’s Islamist militiamen and officials from the administration of Punland.

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Government forces in trucks disguised with rebel flags shelled opposition positions Tuesday near the strategic eastern oil town of Brega, killing eight rebel fighters and wounding dozens more, officials said.

In an audio message directed at a rally of thousands in the town of al-Aziziya, south of Tripoli, embattled ruler Moammar Gadhafi emphasized the importance of Libya’s vast oil wealth to his regime, and called the civil war a battle “for our way of life.”

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The battle for the Libyan oil town of Brega continued on Sunday as rebels clashed with Colonel Muammar Gaddafi’s troops.

The AFP news agency reported that fighting had moved from the desert on Brega’s outskirts to the streets in the centre.

Medics at Benghazi Hospital said 12 people died in Saturday’s fighting and as many as 200 were injured. There were no immediate reports on casualties from Sunday’s clashes.

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