Ethiopian troops seize key Somali rebel bastion

Ethiopian and Somali troops captured a key Islamist militant stronghold in Somalia on Wednesday, as the rebels left their positions, a regional government official and residents said.

The loss of Baidoa in central Somalia is a major blow for the al Qaeda-backed al Shabaab rebel group which is also battling Kenyan troops to hold on to territory in southern Somalia and against African peacekeepers in pockets of the capital.