Amisom captures another Al Shabaab stronghold in Somalia

Somali government troops backed by African Union forces on Friday captured the Al Shabaab stronghold of Dinsor, the second town seized from the Al-Qaeda-affiliated Islamists this week, the defence minister said.

While Dinsor fell without a major fight, with Al Shabaab gunmen fleeing ahead of the assault, witnesses have reported heavy casualties in the week-long offensive with civilians caught up in the fighting. Village elders reported that dozens of bodies have been buried.