Islamic Courts confiscate another warlord’s army

(SomaliNet) The militia of Islamic courts in Mogadishu have confiscated on late Wednesday all the weapons owned by Bashir Rage Shirar, former member of anti terror alliance who is now away from the capital after his clan elders accepted to hand over the army and his strong base as well, reports say.

Heavily armed Islamic militiamen have surrounded the former stronghold of warlord turned businessman Bashir Rage in north of Somalia capital where they handed 14 battlewagons of Bashir while his remnant militia have been told to comply with the order of Islamists who claimed total control of the city.

All the army and the base of Bashir Rage were fully handed over to Council of Islamic Courts peacefully after days of negotiations between courts and clan elders, reliable sources told Somalinet on Wednesday.

Local official said tomorrow morning reporters will be shown the confiscation of weapons by Islamic courts in north Mogadishu in special occasion in which participated by all parts.

The take over move of the weapons came day after leader of executive Council of Islamic Courts (CIC) Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed urged all the remnants of the anti terror alliance in the capital to handover their weapons safely or they face a military action.

It was yesterday when Islamic militiamen took all weapons from the militia loyal to Abdi Hassan Qeybdid, former member of anti terror alliance who lost in two days heavy battle in the capital killing at least 135 people mostly civilians and hundreds more wounded as medical sources confirmed on Tuesday.

Islamic militiamen – who Washington accuses them of harboring foreign terror suspects of responsible for 1998 bomb attacks on US embassies in Nairobi, Kenya and Darussalam, Tanzania – continue to clear the remaining warlords in the capital to secure peace and stability.

Meanwhile, Abdi Hassan Awale ‘Qeybdid’, the last remaining warlord whose militia lost in the latest clashes in the capital with Islamic courts militiamen on Monday is reported to have escaped to Baidoa town in southwest of the Somalia where the transitional federal government is currently based overnight.

After confusing of where his about, reliable sources close to his aide say that Col. Qeybdid who has received light injury in before yesterday’s battle gave in to Hussien Ali Wehlie known as ‘Irfo’ the ruler of Afgoie district in lower Shabelle region who then facilitated him to flee Baidoa town so as to join the government there.

Mohamed Abdi Farah