Tuesday, May 20, 2008
Mogadishu resident Hassan Mohamed said he saw the bodies of two Somali soldiers and three of their Ethiopian allies. There was no immediate confirmation from the government or the rebels.
Insurgents launch almost daily attacks against Ethiopian forces supporting the shaky Somali government. The insurgents sometimes film themselves mutilating the bodies of Ethiopians they have killed and post the videos on the Internet.
Mohamed said Ethiopian forces opened fire in the confusion following the deadly blast, but he ran away before he could see whether anyone was hit.
Safiya Ali, who lives nearby, said she saw more Ethiopian reinforcements seal off the area to collect their dead and wounded.
Ethiopian troops have been in Somalia since ousting the insurgents from much of southern Somalia and the capital in December 2006.
Last week the rebels vowed to avenge the death of Hashi Aden Ayro, the leader of the Islamic al-Shabab militia. who was killed in a U.S. missile strike at his home in central Somalia.
American officials hailed the strike as a significant step forward, but the attacks have continued and peace talks that began last week stalled without any significant dialogue between the two sides.
Source: AP, May 20, 2008