Telegram from Somalia
Africa ExPress stringer
Mogadishu, 24 June 2015
The situation of Leego village is relatively calm, and the area of the fighting of yesterday controlling by al Shabaab militia until last night, residents said after having contacted by phone from Mogadishu.
“They (Al Shabaab militia) left early this morning, moving to jungles surrounding areas in a different directions,” said one resident based at the area. Eyewitnesses are mentioning that more than 50 dead bodies of AMISOM, mainly Burundians were collected by Al Shabaab from the fighting scene, and brought in one place. While, some other reports from the area said that more than 32 AMISOM soldiers are missing in-action until now.
Some other reports are mentioning that the new AMISOM forces are expecting heading toward Leego village, which is the areas occurred the fighting of yesterday, as sources of the Somali government based in Ballidogle military base said today. Some other reports said that the death toll of the Burundian AMISOM forces were reached 70, but there is no official comment from either Somali government or the AMISOM it self until now.
This morning the public and private transports are suspended because, the main road linking from the capital Mogadishu to Baidoa town which is 250 km distance is blocked by the fighting of yesterday and the drivers said there is no security at all of the road. “When you reach Wanlaweyn, you can not move after that destination, because of the crises of the fighting,’ said one driver who spoke with local media early this morning.
Africa ExPress Mogadishu Stringer
Government Officers Kidnapped during Shabaab Attack AMISOM base in Somalia (26 June 2015)