Gabbal Posted May 6, 2005 Somali regional leader escapes assassination attempt Somali regional leader escapes assassination attempt Fri. May 06, 2005 07:32 am. Armed men stormed the residence of Mr. Barre Adan Shire who controls most southern part of the country including Somalia’s third largest city, Kismayo. Mr. Shire, a former army colonel was in the house when attacked. One bodyguard and one of the assailants were wounded in the shootout. The motive is not yet clear but Kismayo residents say the leader has doubled his enemies when he publicly supported the new Somali government. There’s also minor power struggle in his armed faction, Jubba Valley Alliance (JVA). Some unconfirmed reports say the attackers left the city. This coastal city has been peaceful with some occasional murders since it fell into JVA’s hands six years ago. Mr. Shire successfully kept JVA intact and Kismayo under their control for so long while other southern cities are either divided among rival groups or change hands frequently. Another close call happened when the prime minister was addressing the public in Mogadishu’s soccer stadium earlier this week. An explosion killed nine people and wounded many more during the prime minister’s speech. He was unhurt too. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
