Civilians flee as rebels seize Somali town

Published on Saturday 28 November 2009 19:11

REBELS suspected of links to al-Qaeda seized a Somali town last night, sending civilians fleeing towards the nearby border with Kenya.

Al-Shabaab insurgents, who Washington sources say are a proxy in Somalia for Osama bin Laden's terror organisation, drove into the town of Dhobley after rival insurgents Hizbul Islam fled.

"I see a lot of battle wagons and heavily-armed militia. They came into the town a few minutes ago and they have captured the police station... without any fighting," said resident Nor Yusuf Ali by telephone.

Together, the two rebel groups have been fighting the western-backed government in the capital Mogadishu, but a battle for control of the lucrative southern port of Kismayu has pitted the former allies against each other.

Violence has plagued Somalia since 1991 and about 19,000 civilians have been killed since the start of 2007 when Islamists launched an insurgency to topple the government.

Western nations and neighbouring countries fear regions under al Shabaab's control are a haven for militants hoping to launch attacks in developed countries or destabilise the region.

A senior official of al-Shabaab said in June the insurgents might "invade" Kenya unless it reduced troop numbers along the border near places such as Dhobley.

Kenya shut its border with Somalia in January 2007. However, thousands of Somalis still cross the desert frontier to reach overflowing refugee camps in the east of the country, often by bribing Kenyan police along the way.

"The border is totally closed but people are trying to enter the refugee camps. Kenya has deployed more troops on the border," said an aid agency official in Dhobley.

The rebels have brought a semblance of stability to areas they control, but their harsh practices have alienated many traditionally moderate Muslims in the failed state.

Their aim is to impose a strict version of Islamic law across Somalia. They have banned music, sport, videos, and shaving. Followers have desecrated graves, beheaded rival clerics and publicly stoned to death women accused of adultery.