Somali prime minister says forces to open 2nd front against Islamist insurgents by year-end

PM: Somalia to open 2nd front against insurgents

MOGADISHU, Somalia — Somalia’s prime minister says forces trained in neighboring Ethiopia and Kenya will open a second front against Islamist insurgents by year-end.

Prime Minister Omar Abdirashid Ali Sharmarke said Sunday that the forces will try to capture key towns, including the port of Kismayo, which is believed to generate a substantial amount of revenue for the insurgency.

Kenya has a force of 2,000 Somali refugees stationed in the north, and Ethiopia trained a force of 1,000 fighters.

The prime minister’s comments follow a month of intense fighting between Somali government forces and the insurgents.

The Somali government, though, is still unable to pay its troops on time and the prime minister was unable to say whether the new forces would be consistently paid.