MOGADISHU , Somalia ( CNN ) -- The Somali National Army , along with African Union troops , on Sunday launched a long-awaited offensive against al Qaeda-linked Somali rebels and captured the town of Jowhar , the AU and residents said . The joint forces faced little resistance , the African Union Mission for Somalia said in a press release , adding that Jowhar had been a major base for Al-Shabaab in southern Somalia . Abdi Isac , a local resident , said by phone from Jowhar that the allied troops peacefully entered the city after the Islamist militants pulled out without a fight or firing a single shot . Government forces and AU tanks were visible encircling the town and moving cautiously into the police stations and administrative offices in Jowhar to secure the city , residents said . The Al-Shabaab fighters headed toward the nearby rural area that is their stronghold , reports said . Jowhar , 90 kilometers ( 56 miles ) north of the capital , Mogadishu , lies at a strategic crossroads of routes to the north and south of the country . The capture of the town `` will go a long way towards improving security for the civilian population '' in the region , the AU commander said , according to the press release . The rebels continue to hold small rural areas in central and southern Somalia but are being squeezed out of some parts by Kenyan and Ethiopian troops , which launched incursions inside Somalia in October 2011 in support of the beleaguered Western-backed Somali government .
Somali National Army and African Union troops take control of town of Jowhar , AU says . Islamist Al-Shabaab militants gave up the town without a fight , a resident says . The town had been a major base for Al-Shabaab in southern Somalia . Jowhar is at a strategic crossroads north of Mogadishu .