|
Somali clashes kill 12 as thousands flee
Fierce clashes between security forces and suspected Islamist insurgents shook the Somali capital overnight, killing at least 12 people and forcing thousands of others to flee, officials said on Tuesday. The fighting, in which more than 36 people were injured, was the heaviest since Ethiopian-backed government forces ousted the powerful Islamist movement from Mogadishu late last year.Deputy Defence Minister Salat Ali Jelle said gunmen had attacked the defence ministry building, the presidential palace and the military hospital -all in volatile southern Mogadishu. The government forces and those of the friendly Ethiopian troops responded with fire by only targeting terrorists who first waged violence, Jelle told AFP. Only one soldier was slightly injured, he added. Five people had died as of late Monday and hospital sources said on Tuesday that three more had succumbed to their injuries while another four bodies had been recovered by local residents. Witnesses said that large numbers of people were fleeing the capital to safer areas, with some putting the figure in the thousands. Posted by: Fred 2007-02-21 |
| http://www.rantburg.com/poparticle.php?ID=181041 |