Islamic militants withdraw

There are reports that Islamic militants fighting to oust Somalia’s Western-backed government are abandoning their bases in the capital Mogadishu.

A spokesman for the al-Qaeda-linked Shabaab group has reportedly told a local radio station that the retreat is tactical and that they will hold their positions elsewhere.

Islamic militants have been accused of preventing the distribution of much-needed aid to the region which is suffering a drought that’s led to serious famine.

The four-year insurgency by Shabaab has cost the lives of thousands of people and left Mogadishu in rubble.

A government spokesman told the news agency Reuters that if the reports of a withdrawal are true then it is, what he called, a golden day for Somalia.

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