September 28, 2012
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The African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) announced on Friday (September 28th) that allied forces had taken control of parts of Kismayo, the last al-Shabaab stronghold in Somalia.
"Operations are ongoing to neutralise specific al-Shabaab targets in Kismayo," AMISOM said in a statement, appealing to al-Shabaab fighters to give themselves up.
"We can confirm that AMISOM and Somali troops entered Kismayo early this morning and we have taken control of some parts of the city," AMISOM spokesman Aadan Hamud told Sabahi.
He said allied forces met little resistance from al-Shabaab, explaining that the militant group "had fled some parts of the city".
Meanwhile, the Kenyan Defence Forces announced on Friday that it had taken the entire city.
"Kismayo has fallen and with minimum resistance," Kenyan military spokesman Cyrus Oguna told AFP. "It was a joint operation both on air and ground; we finally entered Kismayo at 2 am."
"We cannot give casualty figures at the moment; the damage has not been assessed," he said.
However, al-Shabaab announced on Twitter that "Kismayo remains firmly in the hands of the Mujahideen."
"The enemy using military boats have deployed hundreds of soldiers on the coast late last night and the mujahedeen fighters are engaging in heavy fighting with them now," Sheikh Mohamed Abu Fatuma told AFP. "They are not very close to the city because the coast where they are now is around nine kilometres from downtown."
The UN refugee agency said there was no sign so far Friday of a major exodus of civilians from the city, from which an estimated 12,000 people fled over the past four weeks and whose total population is estimated at between 160,000 and 190,000.
![African Union Mission in Somalia forces in Marka on September 14th. [Simon Maina/AFP]](http://sabahionline.com/shared/images/2012/09/28/amisom-somalia-kismayo-340_227.jpg)
African Union Mission in Somalia forces in Marka on September 14th. [Simon Maina/AFP]
![African Union Mission in Somalia forces in Marka on September 14th. [Simon Maina/AFP]](http://sabahionline.com/shared/images/2012/09/28/amisom-somalia-kismayo.jpg)
"We can confirm that AMISOM and Somali troops entered Kismayo early this morning and we have taken control of some parts of the city," AMISOM spokesman Aadan Hamud told Sabahi.
He said allied forces met little resistance from al-Shabaab, explaining that the militant group "had fled some parts of the city".
Meanwhile, the Kenyan Defence Forces announced on Friday that it had taken the entire city.
"Kismayo has fallen and with minimum resistance," Kenyan military spokesman Cyrus Oguna told AFP. "It was a joint operation both on air and ground; we finally entered Kismayo at 2 am."
"We cannot give casualty figures at the moment; the damage has not been assessed," he said.
However, al-Shabaab announced on Twitter that "Kismayo remains firmly in the hands of the Mujahideen."
"The enemy using military boats have deployed hundreds of soldiers on the coast late last night and the mujahedeen fighters are engaging in heavy fighting with them now," Sheikh Mohamed Abu Fatuma told AFP. "They are not very close to the city because the coast where they are now is around nine kilometres from downtown."
The UN refugee agency said there was no sign so far Friday of a major exodus of civilians from the city, from which an estimated 12,000 people fled over the past four weeks and whose total population is estimated at between 160,000 and 190,000.
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