| 6 Jan 6, 2012 - 1:22:17 PM |
Prime Minister Gaas arrived at the airstrip in Beledweyne accompanied by a TFG delegation, which included Minister of Defense Hussien Isse Arab, Minister of Planning Abdullahi Godah Barre, along with Somali army chief Gen. Diini, and parliamentarians from Hiraan region.
The Prime Minister and his delegation were welcomed by crowds who gathered the streets to watch as his motorcade drove by.
Reports say that Prime Minister Gaas will meet with local authorities and Ethiopian officials who recently conducted military operations in Beledweyne, near the Somali-Ethiopian border.
The Prime Minister’s delegation arrives after local forces alongside Ethiopian troops fought with Al Shabaab insurgents on 31 Dec 2011 and forced them out of Beledweyne. The town is strategically located in central Somalia, with access to northern Somalia's Puntland region, southern Somalia and eastern Ethiopia. Beledweyne was a stronghold for the Al Shabaab militants since 2009.
On Wednesday, a roadside bomb targeted Ethiopian forces in Beledweyne. Local forces said they are investigating the incident.
It is the first visit to Beledweyne by Prime Minister Gas. The Somali Prime Minister has previously visited major towns in Puntland State. The Prime Minister's delegation plans to return to Mogadishu later Friday, aides said.
GAROWE ONLINE
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