27 Feb 2013

SOMALIA / BUUR-HAKBA CAPTURE

Somali government forces with the support of AMISOM troops have re-captured Buur-Hakba town on the Afgooye – Baidoa corridor in Bay region today. AU-UN IST

Posted at: February 27, 2013 3:07 pm

Duration: 02:36

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STORY: SOMALIA  / BUUR-HAKBA CAPTURE
TRT: 2.34
SOURCE: AU/UN IST
RESTRICTIONS: AU/UN IST 
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH/NATS
 
DATELINE: FEBRUARY 27, 2013
 
SHOTLIST:
 
1. Wide shot, AMISOM troops being briefed
2. Med shot, troops at the briefing
3. Wide shot, troops on the road to Buur-Hakba
5. Wide shot, AMISOM (APC) Armoured Personnel Carriers (APC) on the move
6. Wide shot, APC's moving
7. Wide shot, SNA and AMISOM troops marching to Buur-Hakba
8. Med shot, SNA soldier marching with troops
9. Med shot, SNA and AMISOM troops marching into the town
10. Wide shot, AMISOM APC's approaching the town
11. Med shot, APC rolling into the town
12. Wide shot, residents watching soldiers march into Buur-Hakba
13. Med shot, people waving at troops
14. Wide shot, people out in the streets as troops roll in
15. SOUNDBITE (English) Lieutenant Connell Edson Muhanguzi, AMISOM Battle
Group Commander:
 "First of all al-Shabaab is losing the support of the population, he has no support of 
 the population at all, they have no supplies, we have dominated all the areas where
 it has been collecting taxes, where they have been using the seaport and all that,
 we are now in control of those areas. And the civilians are behind us, so the enemy
 al-Shabaab has no capacity to deal with wananinchi (people), has no capacity to get
 supplies in terms of ammunition or food."
 16. Wide shot, troops and APCs at the town centre
 17. Med shot, people coming to the town centre
 18. Wide shot, AMISOM troops securing the town centre
 19. Med shot, SNA and AMISOM troops at the town centre
 20. Wide shot, people at the town centre in Buur-Hakba
 21. Close up, civilians watching at the centre
 22. Wide shot, AMISOM and SNA commanders at the town centre
 23. Med shot, AMISOM battle group commander Lt. Col Edson Muhanguzi talking to
 the people
 24. Wide shot, residents of Buur-Hakba
 25. Med shot, people at the town centre
 26. SOUNDBITE (Somali) Brigadier General Ibrahim Yarow, Somali National Army
 "Al-Shabaab has not just withdrawn, they are afraid, they could not withstand our 
 fighting power and that shows that the al-Shabaab does not have the power to face
 our forces."
 27. Wide shot, people at the town centre watching the troops

STORYLINE:

Somali government forces with the support of AMISOM troops today (27 February) have captured Buur-Hakba town on the Afgooye-Baidoa corridor in Bay region.
This marks a significant loss for al-Shabaab as the strategic town, located 64 kilometres east of Baidoa, was a meeting point for the insurgents to plan attacks against government forces, AMISOM and the Somali population.

Mukhtar Robow, the al-Shabaab spokesperson calls Buur-Hakba home. The extremist group also used the town to extort illegal revenues from residents as well as others in the surrounding area.

Lieutenant Connell Edson Muhanguzi, AMISOM's Battle Group Commander said that al-Shabaab was losing the support of the population, he added that "he has no support of the population at all, they have no supplies, we have dominated all the areas where it has been collecting taxes, where they have been using the seaport and all that, we are now in control of those areas.

Brigadier General Ibrahim Yarow of the Somali National Army praised the skill and courage of both the Somali and AMISOM forces, saying the Al Shabaab would not derail plans to connect the capital, Mogadishu, to Baidoa.

He said, "Al-Shabaab has not just withdrawn, they are afraid, they could not withstand our fighting power and that shows that the al-Shabaab does not have the power to face our forces".

The securing of this town comes days after the joint forces moved to secure other key towns in Lower Shabelle. Last week, AMISOM troops helped their Somali counterparts secure Janaale, Aw-dheegle and Barrire. Two days ago, they captured an airfield 20kms north of Jowhar.