Somali President: Islamic Rebels on Edge of Defeat

voanews.comSomalia's President Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed says Islamist insurgents are on the edge of defeat after pro-government forces took control of another town.

Officials in western Somalia say that Somali troops backed by pro-government militia have moved into the town of Luuq, near the border with Ethiopia and Kenya, after al-Shabab militants fled the area.

Pro-government forces seized control of another town, Belet Hawo, on Saturday. Local residents say the Islamists also have abandoned several other places.

Fighters with the al-Shabab movement are trying to overthrow the Somali government and set up a strict Islamic state.

Al-Shabab controls large parts of the capital, Mogadishu, and much of Somalia's central and southern regions.

The weak Somali government is still holding on with the help of African Union peacekeepers from Uganda and Burundi.