Monday, February 08, 2010

The clashes started late Sunday and continued Monday morning, the Elman Peace and Human Rights Organization said.

"These casualties are from the overnight shelling. We are still monitoring Monday's casualties. The shelling was terrible," said Ali Yasin Gedi, Elman's vice chairman.

Residents said government shells targeted houses occupied by Islamist al Shabaab rebels in the north of Mogadishu. Washington says the group is al Qaeda's proxy in the region.

"We saw al Shabaab carrying their dead and injured in a minibus. But we do not know the exact figure of the deaths," Hassan Nur, a resident, told Reuters.

"The government shells almost leveled houses that housed local and foreign al Shabaab people."

Government and al Shabaab officials could not be immediately reached for comment.

Somalia has not had an effective central government for close to two decades and the international community and neighboring countries are worried about the threat posed by al Shabaab insurgents now controlling a large part of the country and fighting its fragile government.

The near-daily clashes have killed at least 21,000 people since the start of 2007.

For weeks, the government has been promising to launch an offensive against al Shabaab and another rebel group, Hizbul Islam, which both want to impose a harsh version of sharia law.

A government official who wanted to remain anonymous told Reuters the pro-government Ahlu Sunna Waljamaca militia was meeting a government delegation in neighboring Addis Ababa.

"Currently the talks are continuing. We're discussing with Ahlu Sunna Waljamaca on how best we can accommodate them both politically and militarily. If it goes well at this first stage, then we will focus on uniting forces to face on war," he said.

(Additional reporting by Ibrahim Mohamed and Abdiaziz Hassan; Editing by Giles Elgood)

Source: Reuters

saba @ 2/9/2010 2:32 PM EST  You wasted more time from me, and they sent you to do that, i know them,believe me. I know how it works on the NET. Go after those who are saying the most accurate things,those who are pointing the finger where it should be. "Somali haddaan nahay inagaa isdilnay" "Cadawba ma lihin ee DAAYA". Ha ka hadlina, waxba uma jeedno banaanka ka yimid, waa inagii uun. Waaryaa, ma hadalkaasaan laguu soo dhiibin aad halkan kaga celcelisaan. Maxaad la QIIROOTAAN markii Cadawga dibadda la tilmaamo oo la sheego TBAHIISA? Yaa.

simbe @ 2/9/2010 2:20 PM EST  Saba Paranoia iska daa enemy, enemy- Somali anagaa enemy isku ah cid noo timid oo nagu soo duushay ma jiro- Dowlad noo dhisan haba xumaatee anagaa duminay intaan mid kale dhisi lahayna inaan is qalqalno bilaawney Haddana haddii la helo hogaan wax garad ah iyo dad aqoon leh dib u dhis waqti badan qaadan maayo.  Stop your doomesday senario Soviet hadday aqli leeyihiin, ayagaa jiri lahaa- This Wahabi project is worst than kommunists. War gabadha maxaa aqligii ka qaaday.

saba @ 2/9/2010 2:09 PM EST   "Turjumaan shaqo xun maaha". Waad isku qanicinee sow maaha. Waan ogahay inaad shaqo ku jirto,si fiican waliba. Waana lagu ogaan waqtigeeda ee ha dhararin, adiga iyo kuwaad la shaqaysaanba.

simbe @ 2/9/2010 2:01 PM EST  Saba- Hadda waxaan ku jiraa shaqo waana kaa balanqaaday maaha turjibaan weligeyna kuma shaqeyn- umana arko shaqo xun, shaqo waa shaqo, dadka cusub oo afka garanayn in loo turjumo waa loo baahan yahay oo la caawiyo- Anigu  waxa aan ka shaqeeyo hadda ka hor ayaaan kuu sheeyey, malaha  black out ayaad ahayd. Cayda jooji haddii kale naag baan ahay kaa saari mayso.

saba @ 2/9/2010 11:34 AM EST  Correction.... Ha ula tagin qof MUTACALIN ah baan ula jeeday.