Fighting in Somalia Worst in 15 Years

[Jacpher]

 

(MOGADISHU, Somalia)—Insurgents shot an Ethiopian helicopter gunship out of the sky Friday and mortar shells slammed into a hospital during the worst fighting in the capital in more than 15 years, leaving corpses in the streets and wounding hundreds of civilians.

 

At least 30 people, and likely many more, have been killed since Thursday.

 

The violence came on the second day of an offensive in Mogadishu by Somali government troops and their Ethiopian allies to quash an increasingly lethal insurgency. The insurgents are linked to the Council of Islamic Courts, which was driven from power in December by Somali and Ethiopian soldiers, accompanied by U.S. special forces.

 

Mohamed Deq Abukar Aroni, who was carrying two mattresses on his head as he fled, said he had never before abandoned his home in one of the world's most violent cities.

 

"But today I'm fleeing because shells are hitting residential areas indiscriminately," said Aroni, whose children carried two small paper bags of belongings. "I saw two of my neighbors get killed. I'm not going to stay here anymore."

 

The exact number of casualties was unclear due to the chaos in Mogadishu. Hospitals were overwhelmed and bodies were scattered in the streets.

 

The International Committee of the Red Cross said dozens of people have been killed since Thursday and more than 220 wounded, most of them civilians with bullet, grenade and other shrapnel wounds.

 

"The population of Mogadishu is caught up in the worst fighting in more than 15 years," the agency said.

 

Islamic militants — who now dominate the insurgency — stockpiled thousands of tons of weapons and ammunition during the six months they controlled Mogadishu. The insurgency will likely last until that stockpile is depleted, or key leaders are killed. The militants have long rejected any secular government and have sworn to fight until Somalia becomes an Islamic emirate. Clan elders have tried to negotiate several cease-fires, but cannot control the young insurgents.

 

On Friday, an Associated Press reporter saw an anti-aircraft missile hit an Ethiopian helicopter that had been bombing insurgent positions.

 

"The helicopter looked like a ball of smoke and fire before crashing," said Mogadishu resident Ruqiya Shafi Muhyadin, who watched as the helicopter rolled over in the sky and went down near the airport.

 

Dr. Mohamed Dhere, who spoke to the AP by telephone from an underground room, said three mortar shells hit Alhayat Hospital, wounding a doctor and a staff member.

 

"Since early this morning I have been hiding here from the mortar shells so I can't help rescue people. I urge the two sides to respect health facilities," Dhere said.

 

Somalia has been mired in chaos since 1991, when warlords overthrew dictator Mohamed Siad Barre and then turned on one another.

 

A U.N. peacekeeping operation in the 1990s saw clashes between foreign troops and Somali fighters, including the notorious downings of two U.S. military Black Hawk helicopters in 1993. The U.S. withdrew from Somalia in 1994, and that was followed a year later by the departure of U.N. peacekeepers.

 

A national government was established in 2004 but has failed to assert any real control. The administration, with crucial support from Ethiopian troops, toppled the Council of Islamic Courts in December, but insurgents with links to the group have staged attacks nearly every day.

 

The United States has accused the Islamic courts of having ties to al-Qaida. On Thursday, a White House report said that despite recent setbacks to Islamic radicals in Somalia, foreign terrorists are still able to find a haven here because of the country's lack of governance, which contributes to a growing security threat throughout East Africa.

 

The U.N.'s refugee agency said 58,000 people have fled violence in the Somali capital since the beginning of February.

 

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