SomaliNet) At least seven civilians have been killed and dozens more were wounded on Saturday in separate rocket attacks in the Somalia capital Mogadishu – it is part of series insurgent attacks at the positions of the interim government and Ethiopian forces.
Unknown gunmen, presumably supporters of the ousted Islamist movement have today launched several rocket and mortar attacks in three locations of the capital causing civilian casualties.
The first attack killed two-year old child and wounded four others when a mortar round has slammed in their house near the main airport of the capital.
Unidentified gunmen fired three mortar shells towards the direction of the airport where heavily guarded by the allied forces of Somalia and Ethiopia.
Mohammed Ahmed Siad, the director of Mogadishu airport, has told reporters that three mortars exploded inside the airport. He said there were no casualties.
“The operation of the airport is continuing smoothly. The explosions have not obstructed the airport operations and they have not damaged anything,” he said.
The second assault caused the death of ten-year-old boy and the injury of three others, which killed by mortar attack that hit their house near former Jaalle Siad military academy in Mogadishu.
The third bomb has hit a house that located in Daynile neighborhood, outskirt of the capital where three civilians died and other wounded. All victims are in one family.
The fourth attack was targeted at Kaah hotel in north of Mogadishu where a young girl has been killed when rocket propelled grenade launched by unidentified gunmen hit the door the hotel’s restaurant. The rocket penetrated inside the bar and destroyed the hotel’s canteen.
An eyewitness told Somalinet that the attackers have fired three RPGs but one has hit the hotel while the others missed the target and passed the hotel exploding in desert ground.
Today’s attacks were the bloodiest in the capital since the Ethiopian backed interim government forces took control of the city late December 2006.
The government forces that guarding the hotel exchanged gunfire with the attackers who later disappeared.
During the skirmishes, the police are reported to have shot dead a civilian man who was riding in a big lorry that was passing the road before the hotel where a peace workshop is going on for the fifth day.
Salad Ali Jele, the deputy defense minister in Somalia accused the remnants of the ousted Islamists of being responsible for the latest attacks in the capital.
“All this is a work done by the terror groups hiding in the capital and my government will hunt down those elements and will be brought justice,” said Jelle who visited some of the areas affected by the explosions.
The waves of attacks by the supporters of defeated Islamists underlines the scale of mounting insecurity in the capital as the sentiment of anti government is increasing among the population of the toppled Islamic Courts.
On Friday night, unidentified gunmen have attacked on Friday night Global hotel in east of the Somalia capital Mogadishu where some of the Ethiopian military officers are based.
An eyewitness told Somalinet that the attack took place around 7:40pm local time when unknown militia fired a rocket propelled grenade at the hotel near the compound of nation security agency.
“It was a single RPG rocket that slammed on the roof of the Hotel’s gate then the attackers and the bodyguards of the hotel exchanged gunfire. It caused no casualty,” said Abdi Shino, one of the residents who was standing outside of the hotel at the time of the attack. No casualty has been reported so far.
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