Al-Shabaab deploy militants at the outskirts of Mogadishu

Al-Shabaab, the radical Islamist group in Somalia has reinforced its flanks by deploying hundreds of militants at the southern outskirts of Mogadishu.

Reports on Friday confirmed that the fighters who are heavily armed are positioned at Eelasha Biyaha, a large settlement between Mogadishu and Afgoye town, 30km south of the capital.

“Militants with battle wagons mounted with anti-aircraft guns are everywhere,” said a resident at Eelasha Biyaha settlement who requested anonymity.

Last week, Al-Shabaab lost key strategic locations to the peacekeepers serving with the African Union Mission in Somalia (Amisom) and the fresh cohort of fighters are seen as a reinforcement to support the militants.

Recently, peacekeepers from Burundi advanced towards the southern edge of Mogadishu, pushing Al-Shabaab militants further.

However, the renewed conflict has led to residents fleeing from Mogadishu - Afgoye Corridor, which had been peaceful for a while.

As a result, thousands of the displaced families have been moving back to Mogadishu over the past four days to avoid possible confrontations between the opposing sides.

According to the media in Mogadishu, Oxfam, a humanitarian agency based in UK, noted that as much as 400,000 people have been displaced from the settlements at the southern outskirts of Mogadishu.