BELETWEIN, Somalia Mar 31 (Garowe Online) - Islamist rebels attacked an armored convoy escorting the governor of Hiran region, in central Somalia, sparking a deadly gunfight with government troops.

Residents in Halgan village told Garowe Online that Monday's fighting started as Hiran Governor Yusuf Daboged and his convoy drove towards the village.

Insurgent fighters used machineguns and rocket launchers, and successfully burned one of Gov. Daboged's armed trucks, according to villagers.

Yusuf Daboged, Governor of Hiran Region, Somalia

The governor of Hiran and the deputy governor of neighboring Middle Shabelle region, Ahmed "Jandhay" Omar, have been in Bulo Burte since Thursday and reportedly said the two regions were cooperating on the military front against the insurgents.

Last week, Islamist rebels briefly seized control of the capital of Middle Shabelle region, Jowhar.

The two government officials were last reported to have fled southeast, towards the Hiran district of Jalalaksi, with unconfirmed reports saying they are heading to Jowhar.

As reports of Gov. Daboged's ambush surfaced, Bulo Burte residents reported that 200 young fighters armed with light weapons poured into the streets and battled for control of the town with government soldiers stationed there.

The fighters took control of the town and all the government buildings, where they freed prisoners and confiscated property.

Abdirahim Isse Addow, spokesman for the Islamic Courts fighters, claimed that their side captured six armored trucks and were "chasing" Gov. Daboged and Deputy Gov. Jandhay.

He stated that the Islamist fighters who captured Bulo Burte town withdrew voluntarily later in the day.

Somalia's interim government, which is largely dependent on foreign military and financial backing for its survival, has been bogged down in a bloody insurgency in the national capital Mogadishu since the beginning of 2007.

In recent months, insurgents have expanded their guerrilla attacks into other regions and have captured several towns, frustrating an already beleaguered government.

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Source: Garowe Online