8 killed, 20 wounded in Mogadishu By MOHAMED OLAD HASSAN, Associated Press Writer

8 killed, 20 wounded in Mogadishu By MOHAMED OLAD HASSAN, Associated Press Writer
2 hours, 6 minutes ago



MOGADISHU, Somalia - Mortars slammed into homes in the Somali capital after fighting between insurgents and Ethiopian troops, killing eight people, including a mother and her two daughters, witnesses said Thursday.

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Police spokesman Yusuf Osman Hussein blamed the attacks on remnants of an Islamic militia driven from Mogadishu in December by Ethiopian troops backing Somalia's fragile government. The militants have been waging insurgent attacks for months in an attempt to regain power.

The mortar fire started after a 30-minute gunbattle between the insurgents and troops.

Mohamed Deeq said he saw two mortars land on his neighbor's house.

"A mother and two of her daughters were killed, the father was screaming for a help as three of his family members died before his eyes," he said.

A pregnant woman also was among the dead, said Hassan Madobe, another witness. At least 20 people were wounded.

Eric Laroche, the U.N. humanitarian coordinator for Somalia, said the unrelenting violence is preventing the return of thousands of people who have fled to squalid camps on the outskirts of the capital. Laroche spoke during an unannounced visit to the Somali capital.

About a fifth of Mogadishu's 2 million residents fled the city during fierce fighting in March and April, as the government tried to crush the insurgents. Only about 125,000 have returned, the U.N. said last month.

Somalia has been mired in chaos since 1991, when warlords overthrew dictator Mohamed Siad Barre and then turned against one another, defending clan fiefdoms. The government was formed in 2004 with the help of the United Nations, but has struggled to assert any real control.