Monday, February 05, 2007
MOGADISHU, Somalia (AFP) - Gunmen have fired mortar shells into the seaport of Somalia's capital Mogadishu, signalling an escalation of attacks in the lawless African nation since a joint Somali-Ethiopian force took control of the city from an Islamist force late last year.
At least five shells landed at the port in southern Mogadishu overnight, forcing a ship to speed out to sea, officials and witnesses said.
"We came under attack at night, they targeted ships in the port with rounds of mortar but they missed their target," said Mohamed Nur Bare, a police officer.
"No one was injured, every one in the port is safe" Bare told AFP on Monday.
An official at the port, Mohamed Abukar, said "a mortar shell landed near a ship that carried fuel ... and sped into the ocean."
Port officials said that operations were not disrupted, but security officials ordered residents and businesses near the facility to relocate.
"We have been ordered to move away from the seaport and all businesses have been swept away this morning," said Abudrasak Ali, who owns a grocery near the port.
The attack came less than a week after gunmen shelled at least three districts in the capital as violence escalated in the seaside city, killing at least eight people.
The attack at the port raised fears of a return to rampant piracy in Somalia, which has lacked an effective government since it was carved up by rival powers after the 1991 ouster of dictator Mohamed Siad Barre.
Last month, the International Martime Bureau voiced concerns that the ouster of the Islamists could herald a return to the seas of Somali pirates who helped shape the country's reputation for lawlessness.
Source: AFP, Feb 05, 2007