Ethiopian troops take Somali town from al Shabaab

Ethiopian troops backed by tanks wrested control of a town in southern Somalia on Tuesday from the al Qaeda-linked al Shabaab, officials said.Addis Ababa sent troops into neighbouring Somalia in November as part of a wider campaign to crush al Shabaab rebels who control swathes of central and southern Somalia.Residents said Ethiopian tanks, supported by Somali government soldiers, rolled into Yurkud town after a brief gunbattle with members of al Shabaab who are fighting to topple the Western-backed government of the Horn of Africa country.Yurkud, a strategic town that links Bakool, Bay and Gedo regions of the lawless country, is about 110 km (70 km) northwest of Baidoa, a stronghold of the rebel group.“We have captured Yurkud town, our objective is to secure Bay and Bakool regions,” Abdifatah Mohamed, a commander of the Somali government forces told Reuters by phone from Yurkud.“With the help of Ethiopian troops we are determined to oust al Shabaab. They attacked us and we repulsed them. Now we have advanced from Yurkud, Baidoa is now only 85 km away.”Al Shabaab confirmed the capture of Yurkud.“Ethiopian troops are now at Yurkud after fierce fighting this morning. We burnt two of their military lorries,” Sheikh Abdiasis Abu Musab, the spokesman for al Shabaab’s military operation told Reuters from a location in southern Somalia.“We attacked them this afternoon again - we shall continue fighting until we oust Ethiopians from our country.”