Monday, September 03, 2012
African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) force commander Lieutenant General Andrew Gutti said on Saturday (September 1st) that al-Shabaab's claims that they have captured Afmadow are baseless.
Al-Shabaab had posted on Twitter on Friday that it had taken over Afmadow in Lower Juba, burned an AMISOM base there and downed three Kenyan helicopters, all of which AMISOM says is untrue.
"Afmadow remains in the full control and security of AMISOM troops," Gutti said in an AMISOM press release. "Al-Shabaab has issued untrue and baseless propaganda suggesting otherwise. It is a desperate attempt by al-Shabaab, misrepresenting the realities on the ground where AMISOM troops are providing the security and stability to allow the local population to carry on with their normal lives, free from the fear, intimidation and violence propagated by al-Shabaab."
AMISOM troops pushed al-Shabaab out of Afmadow three months ago and have maintained continuous control of the area.