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At least 500 fighters from militant Islamist group al-Shabaab have arrived in Mogadishu to reinforce positions under attack from Transitional Federal Government (TFG) forces backed by African Union peacekeepers. In addition, 100 more young men were today seized and will be forced to fight on the frontlines.
Al-Shabaab officials told Somalia Report that the fighters had deployed across the city after completing training in areas held by the insurgents in south and central Somalia.
Mogadishu residents told Somalia Report that three military transports packed with fighters entered Mogadishu via Afgoye around noon on Thursday, and many insurgent supporters flanked the road to welcome them.
Most of the fighters come from Lower Shabelle, Bay and Bakol regions. Some are destined for northern Mogadishu districts, while others will bolster positions in Hodan and Hawlwadag, where the African Union peacekeeping mission (known as AMISOM) has made gains as it closes in on Bakara Market, a major insurgent stronghold. Dozens have died in the heavy fighting, including civilians killed by stray shells.
AMISOM said this week it now controls 60% of the city, and is taking advantage of the gains to move civilian staff from Nairobi, Kenya to the Somali capital.
Young Men Kidnapped to Fight
Somalia Report today confirmed that al-Shabaab today seized at least 100 young men in Eel Irfid village, 5km from Mogadishu, and are being deployed to the various frontlines of Hodan, Hawlwadag, Shibis and Bondhere districts in the capital.
Ali Osoble, a local resident, said that al-Shabaab is forcing young men to fight in a desperate attempt to regain ground after losing heavily in the latest offensive by pro-government forces.
"Those seized will be placed in the war front to fight against the transitional federal government forces of Somalia in a war they don't know the meaning of," said Ali Osoble.
"The al-Shabaab Spokesman Ali Mohamud Rage and a troop of fighters came here to Kismayo region in February of this year to a school and took more than thirty young men to Garbaharey district for special training," Abdi Jamal Jimale, a local in Kismayo area, told Somalia Report.
"Al-Shabaab subjects the locals to inhumane punishment with beheadings, amputation as well as public execution if people go against their will, therefore the locals have no choice but to follow suit," a local elder in Mogadishu told Somalia Report.
Al-Shabaab extremists in the past few months have been kidnapping children from school and old men coming from mosques, forcing them to fight their jihad against government forces.