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From: Berhane Habtemariam (Berhane.Habtemariam@gmx.de)
Date: Thu Sep 09 2010 - 12:08:40 EDT
Suicide blasts hit Mogadishu, 2 peacekeepers killed
Thu Sep 9, 2010 3:19pm GMT
* Suicide blasts at capital's airport
* Peacekeepers among dead
* Al Shabaab-run radio says the group behind attack
(Recasts, adds AU comments, details)
By Ibrahim Mohamed and Abdi Guled
MOGADISHU, Sept 9 (Reuters) - Suicide bombers killed two African Union
peacekeepers and a number of civilians at Mogadishu's airport on Thursday in
the latest attack on the Somali capital by al Qaeda-linked rebels.
The African Union said two vehicles approached the airport's main gate, and
one exploded killing the peacekeepers while two militants from the other car
ran past the next line of defence and blew themselves up 200 metres from the
terminal building.
Al Shabaab insurgents stepped up their fight to topple the Western-backed
administration last month and the government warned on Wednesday that it
expected a spectacular attack to mark the end of the Muslim holy month of
Ramadan.
The rebels have used suicide bombers to devastating effect over the past two
years, killing five government ministers and dozens of AU peacekeeping
troops. Al Shabaab was also behind attacks in Uganda in July that killed at
least 79 people.
"Al Shabaab has ignored the president's plea to allow the people of
Mogadishu to celebrate the holy month of Ramadan in peace," the government
said in a statement. "They offer nothing but terror, intimidation and the
defiling of our culture."
The government said three civilians died in the attack. The African Union
said three attackers wearing government combat uniforms were also killed
although the full extent of the casualties was not yet clear.
The attack came shortly after the U.N. envoy to Somalia, Augustine Mahiga,
flew from the airport to Kenya following meetings with President Sheikh
Sharif Ahmed.
"HOLY OPERATION"
Abdi Muse, an airport worker, said terrified airline passengers and airport
employees fled the site as gunfire reverberated around the airport.
The AU force, known as AMISOM, said the airport was quickly locked down.
It said at least one airline employee was killed inside the compound, which
is next to the main base for the 7,200 peacekeepers from Uganda and Burundi
in Somalia.
"Our commandos today carried out a holy operation against the AMISOM airport
base," said al Shabaab spokesman Sheikh Ali Mohamud Rage.
"We killed a great number of AU invaders."
Al Shabaab hit the AU base with twin suicide car bombs a year ago killing
the deputy force commander and showing their ability to strike at the heart
of the peacekeeping mission.
The group controls much of the capital and large chunks of south and central
Somalia. It has a number of foreign fighters in its ranks and has threatened
neighbouring countries deemed to be supporting the government.
The peacekeepers in Mogadishu have focused their manpower on shielding the
president and guarding the seaport and airport from the insurgents fighting
to oust the president, himself a former Islamist rebel now seen as a Western
puppet.
Residents said there were also clashes along the strategic Maka al Mukarama
road that runs from the airport towards the presidential palace in the
centre of the crumbling capital.
With the government controlling small pockets of Mogadishu, the road is seen
as a key supply route of essential foodstuffs and a lifeline for the
country's politicians who shuttle between the city and neighbouring Kenya by
air.
More than 230 civilians have been killed in the latest bout of violence in
Mogadishu which began on Aug. 23 when al Shabaab vowed to intensify its
jihad against the fragile government. (Additional reporting by Abdi Sheikh;
Writing by Richard Lough; Editing by David Clarke and Sonya Hepinstall) (For
more Reuters Africa coverage and to have your say on the top issues, visit:
<http://af.reuters.com> af.reuters.com)
C Thomson Reuters 2010 All rights reserved
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