Four killed in fresh fighting
2008-08-20 12:23
Mogadishu - Four civilians died on Wednesday in the battle-scarred Somali capital in fighting after an attack by Islamist insurgents on Ugandan peacekeepers, witnesses said.
Insurgents fired heavy artillery and mortars in Mogadishu's southern K4 quarter where Ugandan troops from an African Union (AU) peacekeeping force are based, witnesses said, adding that the battle raged for an hour.
The attack came a day after the UN Security Council voted unanimously to renew the mandate of AU peacekeepers in Somalia for another six months.
"Four civilians have been killed in our neighbourhood; two of them were killed by an RPG shell that struck their house and the other two were caught in the cross-fire," sais Hanad Muse Ali, a local.
Husein Ahmed, another resident, confirmed the toll and said: "Seven people were also injured in the clashes, and one of the victims bled to death because there was no chance of getting him to hospital."
The spokesperson of the African Union peacekeeping force confirmed the attack.
"Those who are against peace ... attacked our contingent in K4 area and we defended ourselves," Major Bridgye Bahuko, said.
"They used mortars and other heavy arms but we suffered no casualties on our side."
AMISOM, or the African Union force in Somalia, has been there since March 2007 and is to ultimately number 8 000 men. It is currently made up of 2 600 Ugandan and Burundian troops.
Islamist insurgents have reverted to guerrilla warfare and are now targeting Somali government forces, Ethiopian troops and African Union peacekeepers almost daily.
This is despite a peace deal initialled by the Somali transitional government and several top leaders from the main Islamist-dominated Alliance for the Re-liberation of Somalia (ARS) in June.
The pact was rejected by other leading Islamist officials and military commanders, who want Ethiopian troops propping up the Somali government to unilaterally pull out of Somalia before peace talks can start.
Civilians have borne the brunt of the fighting. According to international aid organisations and rights groups, at least 6 000 have died over the past year alone.