The Associated Press
Wednesday, February 22, 2012
Residents say Ethiopian troops and Somali soldiers have seized a key town in south central Somalia.
Baidoa resident Isaq Haji says tanks and infantry troops swept into the town on Wednesday after a gunfight. He said al-Shabab fighters retreated into jungle areas outside the town, about 160 miles (256 kilometers) northwest of Mogadishu.
Haji said the fighting had stopped, but gunfire could still be heard. In a website statement, al-Shabab confirmed the seizure of the town, saying their fighters conducted a tactical retreat. Baidoa is a major base for al-Shabab. Resident Tifow Abdi says he joined hundreds of others who fled the fighting.
Ethiopian and pro-government troops seized two villages earlier this week in a push aimed at capturing Baidoa.