Forces belonging to the Islamic Courts Union have liberated the southern Somali port city of Kismayo after the pro-Western "regional commander" ruling the region fled.
"Kismayo has fallen and not a single bullet was fired," an Islamic source in the capital Mogadishu told Reuters on Monday.
The Islamic fighters moved into the city after Colonel Abdikadir Adan Shire, also known as Barre Hiraale, the leader of the pro-Western "Juba Valley Alliance", a clan-based militia that controlled the area, fled on Sunday, officials and witnesses in Kismayo said.
Barre Hiraale's hasty flight from the city followed a split within the pro-Westen "alliance" on how to respond to the advance of the Islamic Courts Union (ICU), which liberated Mogadishu and other parts of southern Somalia earlier this year.
Many of the militiamen of the "Juba Valley Alliance" belong to the same clans as the advancing Islamic fighters, allowing the Islamic Courts Union to easily liberate the city within the space of a few hours, early on Monday morning, September 25.
Kismayo is the largest port in southern Somalia
Abdullahi Hashi Gullale, a local resident, said: "On Sunday evening, the Islamic fighters entered the town. Hirale and his militiamen have emptied the township and fled Berhane area," about 40km southwest of Kismayo.
In the past few months, the Islamic Courts Union has expanded rapidly from beyond its base in Mogadishu to take over large areas of Somalia.
Their advance has been at the expense of Somalia's largely-powerless pro-Western "interim government" which is backed by the United Nations and Western governments.
The liberation of the last major port city in Somalia makes it impossible for the West to send their "peace-keepers" by sea to crack down on Islamic fighters.
Source: Aljazeera
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