Fighting erupts in Kismayo

Fri. June 22, 2007 08:47 pm.- By Mohamed Abdi Farah. - Send this news article

(SomaliNet) Fresh gun battle between rival soldiers within the Transitional Federal Government has erupted in Somalia’s southern port city of Kismayu on Friday killing seven people and wounding 30 others - as heavily armed Ethiopian forces are heading to Kismayu to go between the warring clans.

The fighting that lasted for four hours in Bulo-Gadud and Gobweyn villages village, near Kismayu went between Sade and Majerten clans of Darod, one of powerful tribes in Somalia.

Both clan soldiers in the government are fighting for the control of Kismayu, 500km south of the capital Mogadishu.

Unconfirmed reports say the soldiers that hailed from Sade clan who now control Kismayu overrun those from Majerten clan, led by Col. Abdirisak Afgadud who was close to the president of Somalia Abdulahi Yusuf Ahmed.

A spokesman for Sade clan who declined to be named claimed that his militia seized six war vehicles from the other side and took hostage their commander Aden Bojar.

There is no independent confirmation on that.

Just in reports say that the fighting still continues as both sides regain reinforcements.

Ethiopian Planes Carpet-Bomb Ogaden Cities

Ethiopian Planes Carpet-Bomb Ogaden Cities

June 21, 2007 Reports reaching our service desk from the provinces of Godey and Nogob confirm carpet bombings carried out by the Ethiopian air force in many parts of these two provinces. As confirmed by eyewitnesses, the places carpet-bombed entirely include Abaaqaroow in Godey province, and the towns of Cayuun and Dara-salaam in Nogob province. Confirmed casualties so far number forty civilians who all died as a result of the carpet bombings carried out by the Ethiopian air force. Our reporters have been dispatched to the areas where the carpet-bombing took place and we plan to detail casualties in our later report filings. In related news, the Ethiopian military killed in broad daylight and inside the town center teacher Xasan. It is not known the reasons of this broad daylight, extra judicial killing carried out by members of the Ethiopian military deployed in Dhuxun. --Ogaden Online News

Somalia: A bomb explosion kills five including 4 Somali policemen

Somalia: A bomb explosion kills five including 4 Somali policemen

Aweys Osman Yusuf Mogadishu 22, June.07 ( Sh.M.Network) A huge bomb blast was targeted at a Somali police pick-up truck carrying at least 10 government police forces near the main seaport of Mogadishu, the Somali capital, on Friday. Witnesses told Shabelle that they saw 4 policemen who were bleeding being dragged from the truck which was badly damaged by the strong blast and also ten year old boy dead in the blast. The explosion occurred amid a large number of Ethiopian troops massed Mogadishu’s biggest market, Bakara, conducting house-to-house search operations. A curfew is due to be imposed on the whole capital today from 7:00 pm to 5:00 am local time. Somalia’s national security committee revealed Thursday that a curfew would be imposed on Mogadishu, the Somali capital. The committee which is made up diverse government officials that are under the direct command of Somalia President Abdulahi Yusuf said the curfew was imposed to pacify the volatile capital. Mohammed Warsame Darwish, the leader of the committee, told journalists in a news conference he held in Mogadishu yesterday that government soldiers were geared up to battle with the insurgents who carry out their hit-and-run attack on the government and Ethiopian bases in Mogadishu overnight. Unconfirmed reports say the vehicle hit a roadside bomb placed on the roadside near Mogadishu seaport. No group has claimed responsibility Clan fighting Meanwhile fighting erupts in the port town of Kismayu, 500 KM south of the capital, on Friday. Residents told Shabelle that the gun battle is raging between two clans (Puntland and Marehan) in the transitional government. A witness, who asked to remain unnamed, told Shabelle by the phone that the fighting started in Bulo Gaduud settlement on the outer edge of Kismayu where government troops led by Col. Abdirisaq Afgadud, a relative of Somalia president Abdulahi Yusuf, are based. “The fighting restated between Abdirisaq’s government troops and Sade (Maerehan) clan militias in the settlement,” the witness said. Shabelle Media Network Somalia