Somali president asks public's help in driving out al-Shabaab

The president of Somalia has called on the public to help drive out an al-Qaida linked militant group that killed 27 people in attacks on the capital. Following the attacks in the capital city Mogadishu, President Hassan Sheikh declared a joint fight to eliminate al-Shabaab, the Shabelle Media Network reported Sunday. The campaign will be led by government troops and forces of the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM), the president in a public address. He called on Somalis to assist the government in clearing out al Shabaab members within the country. "If you look back to all what they have done, it is not that they are fighting against the government or the security forces but they are in fight against every humankind -- particularly the people of Somalia and the people of Mogadishu," Sheikh said. The president said the attacks were led by foreigners he called the enemies of Somalia. "To the Somali people, you must bear in mind that these groups are not Muslims, they are the enemy of Muslims, and they are the enemy of Allah because they are killing his creatures without any reason," the president added.