Militia Hunt Al-Qaeda in Somalia

U.S. bankrolling militia loyal to warloads in hunt to kill or capture al-Qaeda sympathizers.

NAIROBI - Militia loyal to US-backed Somali warlords have launched a campaign to capture or kill Islamic extremists in lawless Somalia, according to officials and diplomats familiar with the covert operation.

Washington is bankrolling the hunt as part of its war on terrorism to prevent new attacks in east Africa, halt training of foreign fighters in Somalia and curb "creeping Talibanisation" in the anarchic nation, they said. Read on.