21 People Killed in Clashes in Somalia

At least 21 people, mainly civilians, were killed and more than 30 others wounded during the last 24 hours in two separate clashes in south and central Somalia.

Witnesses said the clashes started at Trabunka square south of Mogadishu when heavily armed insurgents launched a fierce attack on a government military base.

The fighting immediately spread to nearby Taleh and KM 4 residential areas where the African Union peacekeepers have a base.

The African Union troops also came under attack but there has been no official comment about the attack.

During the fighting both sides exchanged mortar and machine-gun fire which caught some civilians in the cross fire.

“A mortar landed on the house next to us killing a mother and two of her kids and wounded three others from the same family,” said Bare Yahye, a resident of Waberi district.

Another southern Mogadishu resident said three people died and five others wounded in Bula-hubey when a mortar landed on their house.

Elsewhere in Hodan district four civilians, including a woman were killed by a mortar, said Safiya Ahmed.

Earlier on Tuesday at least nine people were killed in fierce fighting in central Somalia between insurgents and Ethiopian troops which are backing the government.

The fighting followed another at the weekend in the area in which more than 15 people killed.

The spokesperson of the Islamic Courts Union, Abdirahin Issa Adow said his men were behind the attack on Ethiopian convoys patrolling near Mataban town in central Somali region of Hiran.

“We killed more than 10 Ethiopian soldiers and destroyed three of their military vehicles,” he said.

Source African Press Agency

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