Tuesday, September 30, 2008
Hundreds of local residents in Kismayo shouted Allahu Akbar (God is great) as the church, which was no longer used and was being occupied by families, was brought down, said witness Omar Ali Mohamed.
"We officially announce today that the Islamist administration in Kismayo destroys the Christian church in our town," said Sheikh Hassan Yaqub, an Islamist official said before the destruction.
"The Ethiopians destroyed a mosque in Harar (in Ethiopia) and we are destroying this church in retaliation. A large mosque... will be built in its place," Yaqub added.
The Islamist fighters wrested back control of Kismayo last month from a local militia after days of battles.
Since being ousted by the Ethiopia-backed Somali government forces last year, the Ismalists have carried out deadly guerilla attacks against their rivals.
Source: AFP, Sept 30, 2008