Al-Shabab fighters seize central Somali town, displacing thousands

Al-Shabab insurgents have seized the town of Tardo in Somalia's central Hiiran region, according to a military official. 

Tardo is a key crossroads between larger urban centres. The town fell on Sunday after Al-Shabab combatants drove out government-allied clan fighters, Major Mohamed Abdullahi told Reuters.

Somali lawmaker Dahir Amin said at least 12,500 families have fled Tardo and the nearby town of Muqokori, which Al-Shabab captured last week. 

The group is advancing to other areas in the region. About 100 Somali soldiers have been deployed to reinforce the counterattack led by local clan fighters. 

Al-Shabab has waged an insurgency in Somalia since 2007, in an attempt to overthrow the country’s government. 

The al-Qaeda-linked group seeks to establish its own rule, based on a strict interpretation of sharia law. 

Al-Shabab's offensive in the Hiiran region has escalated since early this year.  

Previous advances reached within 50 kilometres of Somalia's capital Mogadishu, but Somali forces recaptured those villages.