Somalia PM says Shabaab fleeing north

Mogadishu - The prime minister of Somalia says that fighters from al-Shabaab are fleeing to the mountains of northeastern Somalia after facing heavy pressure in south-central Somalia.

Prime Minster Abdiweli Mohamed Ali told The Associated Press in an interview on Wednesday that al-Shabaab is in "tatters" and that its high-ranking leaders are now moving to the Galgala Mountains.

Militant fighters led by a former arms trader Mohamed Said Atom have been fighting the semi-autonomous Puntland government in northern Somalia from bases in the Galgala Mountains for years.

Al-Shabaab is facing heavy pressure from African Union and Ethiopian forces around Mogadishu and southern Somalia.