30 Somali Civilians Killed by Ethiopian Occupation Forces Fire in Mogadishu

Up to 30 people killed in fighting in Somali capital, witnesses say

By MOHAMED OLAD HASSAN | Associated Press Writer 12:52 PM EDT, September 22, 2008

MOGADISHU, Somalia (AP) _

Somalia's warring sides pounded the capital with mortar rounds and gunfire Monday, killing 30 people — including a family of seven — as (Somali resistance fighters) who want to topple the government gain significant power.

Monday's fighting pitted (Somali resistance fighters) against government forces and the Ethiopian (occupation forces), who come under regular attack in Mogadishu, one of the most violent cities in the world. The war attacks left bodies in city streets. When the blasts calmed, young men ventured out to transport the gravely wounded to hospitals in rickety wheelbarrows.

"There is blood everywhere, and human flesh on the walls," Abshir Mohamed Ali, a shop owner at Bakara market, where much of the fighting was centered, told The Associated Press.

The fighting began after (Somali resistance fighters) fired mortars at the capital's main airport and the presidential palace, said Ali Mohamed Siyad, who chairs Bakara market traders' association. Soon after, government forces and their (protectors, the Ethiopian occupation forces) retaliated with mortars and gunfire.

In the past, government officials have suspected insurgents use Bakara market as a base.

In recent weeks, the (Somali resistance fighters) appear to be gaining strength and sidelining the fragile government. The group, known as the Council of Islamic Courts, has taken over the port town of Kismayo, Somalia's third-largest city, and dismantled pro-government roadblocks. They also effectively closed the Mogadishu airport by threatening to attack any plane using it.

"We keep recruiting new fighters to prepare them for the holy war against the Ethiopian (occupation) troops in our country and their Somali stooges," said Shaik Muhammed, a commander with al-Shabab, the group's military wing.

The Western-backed Somali government, meanwhile, has failed to deliver any basic services and comes under daily attack. The administration had no immediate comment on Monday's bloodshed.

Among the dead in Monday's attacks were seven members of one family — a mother, grandmother, four children and an uncle — when a mortar round landed near their home. The one survivor was a 2-year-old boy who escaped with minor injuries.

"This boy will remain a reminder of this sad story," said Safiya Mohamed Dahir, the children's uncle.

He said the eldest child, a 12-year-old girl, had amassed years of heartbreaking knowledge growing up in Mogadishu.

"One thing I will always remember is how she could tell the difference between the sounds of gunfire, bombs and mortars, at her young age," Dahir said. "She would yell, 'Explosion! Mortar! And gunfire!' And now she's gone."

Dr. Dahir Dhere of Medina Hospital said at least 60 were wounded, including nine children.

Siyad said he and other workers had counted about 30 bodies. Other witnesses described at least 19.

The African Union has sent about 2,000 peacekeepers to Somalia, but they generally are confined to the airport because security is so bad in Mogadishu. The U.N. has tried to push peace talks between the government and the opposition, but a recent deal with a more moderate faction of the Islamic group seems only to have worsened the violence.

Al-Shabab, the driving force behind much of the (resistance to the Ethiopian occupation forces), denounced the talks and did not participate.

Besides near-daily fighting in the capital, foreigners, journalists and humanitarian workers are frequently abducted for ransoms in Somalia. Earlier Monday, Somali forces opened fire on kidnappers to free a German man and his Somali wife, said Muse Gelle Yusuf, governor of the northern port of Bosasso.

In Berlin, Foreign Ministry spokesman Jens Ploetner said the couple were doing well.

Arid, impoverished Somalia has not had a functioning government since warlords overthrew the socialist government  in 1991 then turned their clan-based militias on each other.

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AP Writer Elizabeth A. Kennedy contributed to this report from Nairobi, Kenya.