Residents of Dhobley said Hizbul Islam attacked fighters from al Shabaab who have been occupying the strategic town on the main road from the lucrative Somali port of Kismayu to northern Kenya.
"The fighting started in our town early this morning, when hundreds of fighters loyal to Ahmed Madobe (Hizbul Islam) entered the town from two directions," said resident Ibrahim Abdulkadir. "After hours of fierce fighting, the al Shabaab militia was forced out of the town."
Al Qaeda-linked al Shabaab and the more moderate Hizbul Islam have often fought together against government forces in a bid to topple the Western-backed administration. But a rift emerged last year when they battled for control of Kismayu.
Ahmed Madobe told Reuters by telephone from Dhobley that his fighters had captured the town and would now press on towards the port, which they lost to al Shabaab last October.
Western nations and neighboring countries say the anarchic country serves as a safe haven for militants bent on launching attacks in east Africa.
Source: Ethiopian Journal