Heavy Gun Battle Rocks Somali Capital, Leaves Several Casualties

At least seven people were killed including three government soldiers after a heavy gun battle near Hareyale junction, south Mogadishu, late Friday night in the latest violence to rock the war-torn Somali capital, eyewitnesses and officials confirmed to APA.

The battle broke out as government troops were patrolling near Harayale junction, a stronghold of the Islamists with multiple resistances coming from the insurgents, leading to the death of the three soldiers, and a reinforcement of Ethiopian soldiers also later joined the battle.

“We saw the bodies of three soldiers on the road with their weapons, but nobody could get closer because of the heavy gun fire that was going on in the scene,” said Zakariye Osman, an eye-witness. He said a restaurant owner was also killed by the government troops when they opened fire near his restaurant.

It was the heaviest battle to rock the area for more than a month, with the arrival of a reinforcement of Ethiopian forces fuelling the fighting which lasted more than two hours, eyewitnesses told APA.

Elsewhere in the capital, two people were killed, including an eight year old boy when armed men with pistols opened fire near a police station in Karaan, north Mogadishu, late Friday night.

One of dead men was believed to be a member of the security forces, while the young boy was hit by a stray bullet.

“The dead man was stationed at the police station when armed men came close to him and shot him several times. A young boy passing by was also hit by a stray bullet as he was buying ice cream near the station,” Rahmo Abukar, a neighbor of the dead boy told APA.

Source African Press Agency

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