Thursday, April 05, 2007

MOGADISHU (AFP) - Heavy exchanges of weapon fire and shelling broke out briefly overnight in a Mogadishu district where Ethiopian troops are facing off with Islamist insurgents and clan fighters, residents said Thursday.

An AFP correspondent heard heavy exchanges of gunfire and mortar shelling near the city's main soccer stadium at around midnight Wednesday, which lasted for around 15 minutes. It was unclear if there were any casualties.

Ethiopian troops are positioned in and around the stadium and have been facing off with insurgents, entrenched behind sandbags, in the streets nearby since fighting tailed off on Sunday.

Most residents have fled the area, and the neighbouring Al Kamin neighbourhood, a flashpoint for the heavy fighting that broke out last Thursday with an Ethiopian offensive on Islamist rebels backed by clan militia.

Elders from the city's dominant Hawiye clan said they would collect bodies from inside houses in the area Thursday, after beginning the grim operation the previous day in a tense atmosphere as the rival forces looked on.

They said they had buried at least 16 bodies in a cemetery on the outskirts of the city on Thursday.

The elders said they were due to meet with Ethiopian commanders Thursday afternoon for further talks, after reaching a tentative ceasefire deal with them on Sunday.

Ethiopian commanders have yet to confirm any truce.

A local rights group, which compiled figures from hospitals and witnesses, said 381 civilians had died and 565 were wounded in the four days of clashes that ended on Sunday.

The United Nations estimates that around 100,000 people, or one tenth of the population, have fled Mogadishu since February, including nearly half of those in the past 10 days.

Ethiopian-Somali forces drove Islamist fighters with alleged links to the Al-Qaeda network out of Mogadishu and south and central Somalia some three months ago.

Source: AFP, April 05, 2007

marshaale @ 4/5/2007 8:57 PM EST  Dowladaan qabiil waliba ku jiro cid ay u istaageeso ma jirto, cid ama shaqsi ka mida oo afka buurayana wax u ay u dhimeeso ma jirto, Ereteeriyana konton sano oo soo socota hasii joogeen daba dhilifka argixisada alqacida qandaraaska iyo shilimaadka ka hesha. Xamar waxay aheed 17sanoo lasoo dhaafay meel ay BURCAD arxan daran daka ku xasuuqaan, waxay noqotay meel aduunka magaalo la arko ka darnaatay, waxay noqotay magaalo rag xoog isbiday ay ka amar taakleeyaan, waxay noqotay meel soomaliya u diiday caasumadii ay ahaan laheed kooxo dabada la galay argixisada caalimiga ah, xamar way u baahneed dowlad karti leh oo go’aan adag ka gaari karta BURCADA aan kala jecleen shacabkeeda marka laga reebo calooshooda. kuwa madfaca ku tuurayey shacabka maatada ah iyo xarumaha dowlada waa ay ogaayeen in madfaca caatada ay sida fuleynimada ah usoo tuuraan looga daba hareen, isla shacabkii ay isbaarada iyo xooga ku heesteen ayey dabada la galeen, ayaandaraduse waa shacabkii oo ay dowlada somaliya tiri soo dacweeya loo dhego lugnaan, waxaana ugu wacan dhagarqabayaasha oo handadaad ku haayey shacabka ay ku dhex dhuumanayaan marka ay geesanayaan falkooda argixisinimo. waxaasna waa laga baxayaa oo umada dhibaateesan mar bey helaan garab uga yimaada dhanka alle. cidii dowladaan ku eedeeneesa xaq daro iyo xasuuq waa in la tusaa waxa ka dhacaayey xamar tan iyo maalintii calooshood u shaqeestayaal burburiyeen qaran)nimadeenii oo ay qabiil dad ku wax yeeleeyeen, taasina waa cashar laga gudbay BURCADA alqacidana uma soconeso wixii lasoo maray ee ha arkeen xaqiiqda iyo runta.

HANIYE10 @ 4/5/2007 2:38 PM EST  ku:GEELE waxaan umaleynaa inaad ciil bes latahay mar hadii tigreegii adeerkaa watay ay wax qaadi waayeen waxba qiiq ha isku qarin xaarana haka daba laaban ileyn adiga matihid kan xaaraanta xisaabinaayo NINKII DHOOF KU YIMID BAA GEERIDU DHIBEYSAA

@ 4/5/2007 2:16 PM EST  An extremely dream postion for Ethiopia served by an almost 17-year old Somali stupidity! The sad thing is most of you, posters at this portal are either refugees or ex-refugees! Why don't you learn anything from societies, among which you are living? Searching for our genuin Somalism, I am Gacaliye@

hanixin1 @ 4/5/2007 2:16 PM EST  Adeer sababta aadan warka aad sheegaysid aan loogu arkayn BBCda and Hiiraan waxaa weeye, waxa ay qoraan wararka saxda ah oo aan been abuurka ahayn. Maanta iyo shalay midna shir kama dhicin Xamar oo xaafadaha aad sheegaysid waaba aag dagaal oo ay isku horfadhiyaan xaq udirirka iyo ciidamada gumaysiga Itoobiya. Iska akhriso wararka ay qoraan websiteyada jufada oo riyada ku salaysan.

sonamo @ 4/5/2007 1:54 PM EST  Halkaan ka aqriso wararkan aadan barnaba bbc-somali ama hiiraan.com aadan ku arki doonin!!! http://www.carmooyin.com/News/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=1125&mode=thread&order=0&thold=0