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Africa Horn
Somalia: Militants briefly seize control of airbase
2008-01-26
(SomaliNet) Three Somali soldiers were killed Friday when Islamist terrorists insurgents attacked a military air base south of Mogadishu and made away with weapons, an army official and an insurgent leader told AFP.

A group of insurgents attacked and briefly seized control of the base at Baledogle, around 90 kilometres (55 miles) west of the capital. The fighting left three soldiers dead and five wounded, a local Somali military officer told AFP on condition of anonymity. "Insurgents attacked our base, there was fighting that killed three of our soldiers. I don't know how many casualties the other side suffered," he said.

An elder from a nearby area confirmed the death toll. The elder said the terrorists insurgents looted ammunition and weapons from the base.

A spokesman for the terrorists insurgents confirmed the attack and claimed that no Islamist terrorists fighters were hurt in the fighting. "Our Islamic terrorists warriors briefly took control of the base in Baledogle after fighting the stooges of colonial Ethiopia," Sheikh Muktar Ali Robow told AFP. "None of our terrorists fighters were harmed in the fighting. We did not encounter much resistance on the base," he added.

The spokesman -- also known by his nom de guerre "Abu Mansur" -- is a leader of the Shabab organisation, the military wing of the Islamic Courts Union, which briefly controlled large parts of Somalia in 2006.
Posted by:Steve White

#1  What's needed for these sorts of incursions is a UAV with AC-130 Spectre / Spooky capabilities. Let the terrorists seize whatever they want, then send 'em virgin shopping as they try to retreat...
Posted by: M. Murcek   2008-01-26 10:41  

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