(CNN) -- An Islamic militia took over two strategic towns in Somalia Tuesday in a territory grab by the strengthening insurgency, a regional commander told CNN.

Islamist fighters from Al-Shabaab group in Somalia display their flag.

The al-Shabaab militia seized the cities of Bulo Marer and Quryoley from the U.N.-backed government and its Ethiopian allies. The move gives the group a strategic base in central Somalia, where it also controls Kismayo, the country's third-largest city.

Al-Shabaab is an offshoot of an Islamic party that ruled much of the country in the second half of 2006 and aims to impose Islamic sharia law in Somalia.

Nur Shekoy Jabril, the commander of government forces in Quryoley, said his troops withdrew from the two towns after they faced being overwhelmed by the al-Shabaab force.

He said al-Shabaab forces were moving toward Merka, another major town in the region where the Untied Nations uses an air strip to fly in supplies for the World Food Programme.

Somalia, which has not had a functioning government since 1991, is in the throes of an Islamic insurgency which is battling for control of the country and the ouster of Ethiopian forces.

A cease-fire between the some of the Islamic fighters and the Somali transitional government takes effect on Wednesday.

The agreement was brokered by the United Nations and the African Union and signed late last month in Djibouti.

It calls for Ethiopian forces -- who are supporting the transitional government forces -- to withdraw starting on November 21.

It is unclear if the cease-fire will hold as it has already been rejected by Al Shabaab.

Somalia's lawlessness also spilled onto the seas off the Horn of Africa, where international vessels are routinely hijacked by suspected Somali pirates who demand large ransoms.
Name of the militia that seized the cities? What does group aim to impose? What does the group aim to do in Somalia? Which two cities did the militia seize? What does the group want to impose? What militia seized the cities? What is the group's goal? The move gives what? What move gives it a central base in Somalia Where did the group rule during 2006? What cities did al-Shabaab seize? Al-Shabaab is an ofshoot of what?
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question: Name of the militia that seized the cities?, answer: al-Shabaab | question: What does group aim to impose?, answer: Islamic sharia law | question: What does the group aim to do in Somalia?, answer: impose Islamic sharia law | question: Which two cities did the militia seize?, answer: Bulo Marer and Quryoley | question: What does the group want to impose?, answer: Islamic sharia law | question: What militia seized the cities?, answer: al-Shabaab | question: What is the group's goal?, answer: impose Islamic sharia law in Somalia. | question: The move gives what?, answer: a strategic base in central Somalia, | question: What move gives it a central base in Somalia, answer: al-Shabaab militia seized the cities of Bulo Marer and Quryoley | question: Where did the group rule during 2006?, answer: Somalia | question: What cities did al-Shabaab seize?, answer: Bulo Marer and Quryoley | question: Al-Shabaab is an ofshoot of what?, answer: an Islamic party