Somalia says it has captured key locations from militants

From Mohamed Amiin Adow, For CNN

(CNN) — Somali government forces, aided by African Union troops, captured three strategic locations from militants during fighting in Mogadishu, authorities said Wednesday.

One of the locations the troops captured was the former Ministry of Defense, which insurgents have used as an operational base.

The announcement by the information ministry comes after days of heavy fighting between Islamist militants and government forces in Somalia’s capital.

Medical officials said Sunday that at least 18 people were killed and dozens were wounded in recent fighting.

The raging street battles have pitted government troops against the jihadist movement Al-Shabaab, which controls much of southern Somalia.

Al-Shabaab is waging a war against Somalia’s government in an effort to implement a stricter form of Islamic law, or sharia. Somalia has not had a stable government since 1991, and fighting between the rebels and government troops has escalated the humanitarian crisis in the famine-ravaged country.