At Least 17 Killed And 40 Injured During Fighting in Somali Capital

Fighting between Somali government troops backed by foreign peacekeepers and Islamic militants on Friday killed least 17 civilians and injured about 40 injured in Mogadishu.

Witnesses said the fighting began when Al shabab insurgents first shelled on Mogadishu’s Aden Ade airport as a plane carrying supplies for African Union peace keepers landed.

The attack sparked off heavy tank and mortar fires from both sides.

Dahir Mohamed Mahmoud, the deputy director of Madina Hospital told APA that 45 civilians were admitted to the hospital, 5 of whom suddenly died in the hospital from their wounds.

AMISOM spokes man Major Baridge Bo-Huku confirmed the attack by insurgents at the airport.

“They fired more than ten mortars towards the airport but I can tell you that there are no casualties on our men” the spokesman said, adding that the plane off loaded and flew away safely.

Al shabab’s spokesman Sheik Muqtar Robow Abu Mansur told APA that his Mujahideen fired 41 mortars on the airport, stadium Mogadishu which houses hundreds of Ethiopian soldiers and Mogadishu’s Adeen Ade airport.

“We fired 33 mortars on the airport, four on the presidential house and four on Stadium Mogadishu, one of the bases of the occupied Ethiopian infidels” Sheik Muqtar added.

Source African Press Agency

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