SOMALIA: Fighting continues between Islamist insurgents and Government forces

Record ID: 374823

  • Title: SOMALIA: Fighting continues between Islamist insurgents and Government forces
  • Date: 2nd June 2009
  • Summary: (SOUNDBITE) (Somali) ISLAMIC MILITIA ABDI SUBERR SAYING "You see the dead bodies of Transitional Federal Government (TFG) is lying here, there are three bodies here while the other one is on that junction, they attack our positions every day and they loss, so am telling those who support the crusaders that we are going to eliminate them from here then to the white house of
  • Embargoed: 17th June 2009 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Somalia
  • Country: Somalia
  • Topics: War / Fighting
  • Reuters ID: LVA6B573NWC1OBLFCIUO3XEEJHS7
  • Story Text: In the worst fighting this year in the war-scarred coastal city, al Shabaab rebels have been battling Somali police and soldiers in mortar and machine-gun exchanges that have sent tens of thousands of residents fleeing Mogadishu.
    The battle to control the city is the biggest test to date for the new government of President Sheikh Sharif Ahmed -- himself a moderate Islamist -- which was formed in January under a U.N.-brokered reconciliation process in neighbouring Djibouti.
    "You see the dead bodies of Transitional Federal Government (TFG) is lying here, there are three bodies here while the other one is on that junction, they attack our positions every day and they loss, so am telling those who support the crusaders that we are going to eliminate them from here then to the white house of the united states," said an Islamic militia Abdi Suberr while pointing at bodies lying on the ground.
    The violence has drawn in several hundred foreign jihadists, experts say, as well as fuelling a humanitarian crisis, allowing piracy to flourish offshore, and perpetuating a cycle of civil conflict since the 1991 fall of a Somali dictator.
    In a favoured tactic of the rebels, a roadside bomb killed at least 10 people, including four officers.
    The fighting has driven tens of thousands of residents to seek refugee away from the fighting. Local companies came together and offered the IDPs some basic items just to help them get some shelter.
    Plastic sheeting and house hold goods were delivered by trucks hired by the business community.
    "We are really happy that we have received plastic sheeting's from the companies who saw the difficulties we are living in here and we are sure God will help them and give us more," said Internally Displaced Person Fatima Ali moments after she received her plastic sheeting.
    Officials says over 70 people have died in the last two weeks while thousands more were forced to flee Mogadishu.
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