Somalia: Conference venue attacked again

Somalia: Conference venue attacked again
Thu. July 19, 2007 03:07 pm.- By Mohamed Abdi Farah. - Send this news article

(SomaliNet) Suspected local militants launched a mortar attack on the peace conference venue in north of the Somalia capital Mogadishu on Thursday just after the meeting restarted with more than 1,300 clan delegates.

According to the local residents, around six mortar shells landed near the venue of the reconciliation conference, former police compound in Abdulaziz district, north of the capital around 2:25pm local time.

“The mortar attack happened as the session of today’s meeting ended,” Addawe Mohamed, a local resident told Somalinet by telephone.

This is the second time that the heavily guarded conference site under mortar attack. There is no immediate casualty from the latest mortar attack.

Meanwhile, Somalia's Prime Minister Ali Mohamed Gedi addressed the conference gesturing that his government is determined to make the meeting successful and many issues will be discussed during the conference.

Texts on the conference agendas were distributed to the delegates who will resume talks on Saturday.