Rebel Leader Says al-Shabab Losing Ground in Somalia
One of the leaders of the al-Qaida-linked Somali insurgent group al-Shabab has acknowledged the group is losing ground in its fight against the Somali government.
As forces of Somalia’s Transitional Federal Government continue to make advances throughout the country - often with the help of African Union troops - the country's main insurgent group, al-Shabab, appears to be weakening.
Advances
Speaking on a radio station that is friendly to the Islamist insurgents, Shabab commander Ahmed Abdi Godane admitted the group had experienced significant losses, including the deaths of several senior officials and commanders, in recent fighting.
The TFG has made significant advances in its effort to oust al-Shabab since the insurgents' “Ramadan offensive” launched in September of last year. Government and AU troops managed to repel the insurgent onslaught and reclaim parts of the war-torn capital, Mogadishu. (...)
