MOGADISHU
At least six people died of starvation over the past week in Somalia's central Buloburde town as a result of an ongoing siege by Al-Shabaab militant group, the local chief said on Friday.
"It is still difficult to transfer basic commodities into the town as Al-Shabaab militants continue to torch merchandize-loaded trucks and steal others," Local news outlets quoted Abdul-Aziz Abdi as saying.
He said that government troops have managed to kick out Al-Shabaab militants from areas near Buloburde but that the town itself is still "besieged" by the Al-Qaeda-linked militant group.
He also said that food supplies from the African peacekeeping mission in Somalia (AMISOM) had been arriving to the city via airplanes.
He went on to urge the Somali government to work towards lifting the siege on Buloburde and other town in the central Hiiran region.
Buloburde is the second largest city in the Hiran region.
Somalia has remained in the grip of on-again, off-again violence since the outbreak of civil war in 1991.
Earlier this year, the country appeared to inch closer to stability after government troops and African Union forces – deployed in the country since 2007 – drove Al-Shabaab from most of its strongholds.
www.aa.com.tr/en
