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| Africa Horn |
| Fighting, mortar attack on Somali mosque kill 39 |
| 2009-05-11 |
| [Bangla Daily Star] A mortar shell hit a mosque in the Somali capital Mogadishu yesterday, killing at least 14 people and raising to 39 the death toll from fighting between Islamist rebels and government forces that flared up on Thursday. The mosque was hit just as worshippers were filing in for the afternoon prayers, witnesses said. "The mortar shell struck at the gate of the mosque. I counted about 14 people who died instantly and 10 others were wounded," Hassan Abdifatah, a worshipper at the mosque in southern Mogadishu, told AFP. "There was blood and body parts everywhere." Mumin Haji Yusuf, another worshipper, said: "I was inside the mosque when I heard a heavy explosion and shrapnel was flying everywhere killing many people." The fighting -- with both sides using heavy machine guns, artillery and anti-aircraft weapons -- erupted on Thursday, but escalated on Saturday as the two sides clashed over key positions in the war-ravaged Mogadishu. The Islamists said they had taken control of contested areas in southern Mogadishu, but the government dismissed their claim. "We have taken control of the areas we fought over with the enemy of Allah," Sheikh Ali Mohamed, the rebel Islamist official in charge of Mogadishu, told reporters. Seized, he said, were Mogadishu stadium, the defence ministry building and a key road -- a claim confirmed by several witnesses. But at a news conference Information Minister Farhan Mohamoud said the insurgents "did not take any position from the government forces". "This war is led by foreign fighters who want to take control of Somalia," he said. "They waged a full attack on government positions and this is what they had planned in order to overthrow the government." Police, hospital officials and witnesses said nearly 200 people have been wounded in the fighting. Thousands of residents, with belongings on their heads or strapped on their backs, were seen fleeing their homes. Others found themselves trapped amid the fighting. "It was shocking last night here in my neighbourhood -- a mortar hit a house killing four family members on the spot," said resident Husein Mohamed Waberi. |
| Posted by:Fred |
#9 AS you wish Sea, actually they'e all guilty.
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| Posted by: Redneck Jim 2009-05-11 09:51 |
| #8 Who mortared who in this scenario, Jim? Who died, and why? Were the mortarees the "handlers and enablers"? Or the mortarers? I would like to see more dialogue and less demagogue here. We are practically the only people on the planet paying even marginal attention to the details. Dial down the rhetoric, Jim. To borrow from Rumsfeld, it is unhelpful. |
| Posted by: Seafarious 2009-05-11 09:34 |
| #7 Ummm, Sea, I think you misunderstand, I'm laughing and rejoycing at "Turnabout is Fair Play", the murderers were in turn Murdered, I'm not saying "Kill them All" I'm saying "Kill the Murderers, and most especially their "Handlers and Enablers. Remember it's well established If you hire someone to kill for you, then you're guilty of murder too. |
| Posted by: Redneck Jim 2009-05-11 09:18 |
| #6 Jim, you are giving yourself over to the same evil mind. Your "kill them all" talk is just as evil as the bombing. |
| Posted by: mom 2009-05-11 09:13 |
| #5 While we're on the subject, why do you object at justice? those who kill must in turn be killed, those who bomb should die in explosions, are you saying there must be NO killing of evil? Then you will have nothing but evil. Someone MUST be the Hangman, or Evil will flourish like weeds smothering edible crops, and then you starve. |
| Posted by: Redneck Jim 2009-05-11 09:11 |
| #4 [moderator hat ON] Jim. Settle down. Enough with the kill 'em all chatter. This is not a request. [/mod hat] |
| Posted by: Seafarious 2009-05-11 09:01 |
| #3 No, I rejoice at the ending of evil in the same way they prescribe to others, you know. "Do unto others" Etc. |
| Posted by: Redneck Jim 2009-05-11 08:43 |
| #2 Breathe, Jim. And do not rejoice at evil. |
| Posted by: mom 2009-05-11 08:38 |
| #1 MORE, MORE, MOREKill the "Religion of Pieces" at their base Cut the roots. |
| Posted by: Redneck Jim 2009-05-11 08:30 |