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| Somali al-Shabab base captured outside Mogadishu | |
| (40 minutes later) | |
| A major base of Somalia's al-Shabab militants has been captured on the outskirts of the capital by government troops backed by African Union forces. | |
| "This operation is necessary to consolidate the security of Mogadishu," AU commander Maj Gen Fred Mugisha said as the offensive began. | |
| AU and government forces took control of most of Mogadishu last year. | AU and government forces took control of most of Mogadishu last year. |
| But correspondents says al-Shabab fighters were able to launch attacks in the city from their Maslah base. | But correspondents says al-Shabab fighters were able to launch attacks in the city from their Maslah base. |
| Al-Shabab is under attack on several fronts, with troops from Kenya and Ethiopia also gaining ground recently. | Al-Shabab is under attack on several fronts, with troops from Kenya and Ethiopia also gaining ground recently. |
| But the group, which joined al-Qaeda last month, still controls much of southern and central Somalia. | But the group, which joined al-Qaeda last month, still controls much of southern and central Somalia. |
| It described its withdrawal from Mogadishu last August as "tactical" and has continued to stage suicide attacks in the city. | It described its withdrawal from Mogadishu last August as "tactical" and has continued to stage suicide attacks in the city. |
| Somali government forces with the support of AU troops launched the attack on Maslah at dawn, the AU mission in Somalia, Amisom, said in a statement. | Somali government forces with the support of AU troops launched the attack on Maslah at dawn, the AU mission in Somalia, Amisom, said in a statement. |
| Al-Shabab said it had voluntarily withdrawn from Maslah, which is 5km (3 miles) from Mogadishu on one of two main roads out of the city. | |
| Officials from the UN-backed interim government and workers near the base told the BBC's Somali Service that loud explosions were heard from Maslah during the fighting. | |
| The BBC's Mohamed Dhore in Mogadishu says it not clear if there are any casualties. | |
| A similar push two weeks ago was made on the other main road out of Mogadishu heading towards Afgoye, a strategic town held by al-Shabab. | |
| Amisom said this "saw the security cordon around the city expanded". |