MOGADISHU: Somalia’s
Al Qaeda-affiliated Shabab rebels yesterday launched a major offensive against a strategic island in the south of the country, causing heavy casualties, witnesses said.
The militants fought fierce battles on Kudha island, situated in the autonomous Lower Juba region and around 70 kilometres southwest of the port city of Kismayo.
Several Somali media reports said the rebels were now in control of Kudha island — which has changed hands several times in recent months — and that up to 70 fighters had been killed.
AFP
