With Joint Offensive Approaching, Al-Shabaab Withdraws From Stronghold In Gedo Region

In the face of joint Somali government and African Union operations, Al-Shabaab militants have quietly withdrawn from Bardhere in the southern Gedo region of Somalia, reports the Shabelle Media Network (Mogadishu), citing local residents.

Somali troops and Ethiopians assigned to the A.U. peacekeeping mission have been advancing on Bardhere, where Al-Shabaab has been in control for more than seven years.

The militants pulled out of the town before the joint force arrived on...