(AFP) — Mogadishu – At least seven civilians were killed when Somali insurgents attacked a joint convoy of Ethiopian Woyanne and Somali troops, sparking deadly clashes, witnesses said on Monday.
Fifteen others were wounded in the clashes that erupted on Sunday in northern Mogadishu’s Towfiq district and spread to others residential zones in the volatile coastal capital, they said.
“Five civilians, including four children, were killed in Gupta neighbourhood when they were hit by an artillery shell. Four of them died in the spot while the fifth one passed away later,” said Abdifatah Mohamed Nur, a resident.
Another resident Muktar Bile said stray bullets killed two other civilians in Sinay area, bringing the death toll to seven.
“Two young men died after they were hit by stray bullets in our neighbourhood. I know one of them, he was a footballer,” added Colonel Hassan Artan Warsame, a police official.
Another police official confirmed the clashes but declined to give details on the civilian casualty.
“The terrorists attacked our forces, but we repelled them. They fired heavy rockets and we responded, but I can’t tell the casualties,” added the official, who requested to remain unnamed.
Insurgents spokesman Sheikh Abdirahin Ise Ado said they killed nine Somali forces and Ethiopian allies in the fighting. “We killed nine of them in Towfiq junction.”
They have launched attacks almost daily since then, in which many government fighters – and civilians – have been killed.
The latest clash came days after a July 9 deadline for the implementation of a truce, which in June was initialled by the federal government and top leaders from the main Islamist-dominated opposition movement in Djibouti.
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FORUM | 3 Comments
Smiles for the morning!!!
[Reply]
July 21st, 2008 at 10:51 AM
I can’t wait the people of Addis and other cities would fight the weyane juntas as the somalian does. I know the consequences would be very tough that might going to bring a lot of life loose along with long term instability around the region; however we cannot simply let the weyane juntas to totally destroy our people with their gradual criminal activities as a daily basis. I mean we have to get some kind of solution for our people who are dying every day due to weyane heavy forces along with high unaffordable inflation, and famine. Again, lets come up with ultimate solution to remove the weyane gangs once and for all from the Ethiopian people by any means possible, even though it requires a lot of scarifies.
Death to weyane supporters!!!!!
[Reply]
July 21st, 2008 at 11:20 AM
Long live free, independent and united Somalia so we can have peace and mutual prosperity between the brotherly peoples of Ethiopia, Eritrea and Somalia! United we stand, divided we get abused by the US through its surrogate the Weyanes. That is a fact folks. Time to wake up and fight the Thugs of Mekele instead of figting among us!
[Reply]
July 21st, 2008 at 3:18 PM