At Least 30 Die In Fresh Somali Islamists Clash As Ethiopian Forces Evacuate

Mogadishu, Somalia (AHN) - At least 30 people were killed and 50 others wounded in a central town of Somalia on Sunday after rival Somali Islamist groups and hardline insurgents started fresh clashes, witnesses and reports said.

Heavy fighting between Islamist fighters of Al-Shabab and Ahlu Sunna has escalated in Griel town in Galgudud region on Sunday morning, according to AllAfrica.

The two rival sides clashed two weeks following Ahl-ul-Sunna wal-Jamaa takeover of Guriel town, which is 300 kilometers (186.41 miles) northeast of the capital Mogadishu, by forcing the al-Shabaab members out of the region.

The clashes were reported as 3,000 Ethiopian forces, supporting the current government, began withdrawing from the region, raising concerns that a power vacuum in the country could intensify the violence.

The Ethiopian security forces were stationed in the country since 2006 to support the government's personnel in battling the Union of Islamic Courts (UIC) and its military wing al-Shabaab, which has occupied much of south and central regions in Somalia.

Local residents in central Somalia reportedly said people are still fleeing from their houses as the casualties of the fighting are increasing.

Somalia has been without a proper functioning national government since President Mohamed Siad Barre was forced to step down in 1991.

The vulnerable government is engaged in fighting Islamist rebels who tookover the southern region of the country and are now trying to capture the capital city of Mogadishu.

Ethiopian security forces have engaged along with the Somalia troops since more than two years to remove the presence of the Islamist insurgents from the region.

Thousands of Somalis have lost their lives in battles between Ethiopian soldiers and insurgents in the country, which has been without a functional government for around 18 years.

More than 40,000 residents have taken shelter in several makeshift settlements located in the western region of Mogadishu. Over 16,000 residents have been killed in the insurgency.

More than one million people have been displaced and at least 3.2 million residents require emergency aid.