MOGADISHU, Somalia June 5 (Garowe Online) - Hundreds of Somali government soldiers have been redeployed from the capital Mogadishu and sent back to camps for advanced military training, a defense official said on Tuesday.

Salaad Ali Jeele, the deputy defense minister, did not disclose the exact number of troops who have departed Mogadishu in recent days but said the soldiers were sent back to military camps in Bay and Lower Shabelle regions.

"The police have taken over local security matters," Minister Jeele said at a press conference. He said the Somali troops were originally deployed in Mogadishu to combat anti-government armed groups active in the capital.

Defense sources said most of the troops were redeployed to Manaas military camp in Bay region where the transitional government was based in 2006. At the time, Mogadishu was controlled by Islamist militias, who were later routed by Ethiopia-backed government forces.

An Islamist-led insurgency led to heavy battles in March and April when hundreds died and thousands were displaced. Insurgent fighters have since launched a series of attacks including suicide bombings and assassinations aimed at the government and its foreign allies.

Also on Tuesday, Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi visited Mogadishu under heavy guard for the first time since his troops intervened in Somalia last December. [ Full story]

Source: Garowe Online