7 Ethiopian Soldiers Killed in Roadside Bomb

[N.O.R.F]

7 Ethiopian Soldiers Killed in Roadside Bomb

 

 

Email This Page

 

Print This Page

 

Comment on this article

 

Visit The Publisher's Site

 

 

 

 

Garowe Online (Garowe)

 

16 January 2008

Posted to the web 16 January 2008

 

 

A huge blast in Somalia's capital Mogadishu targeted an Ethiopian army convoy as it drove through a major intersection Wednesday, killing seven soldiers on board, witnesses reported.

 

The Ethiopian convoy left the old pasta factory when the hidden landmine exploded in Yaaqshiid district, targeting an army transport truck full of soldiers.

 

 

"I saw soldiers on the ground and many others shrieking...there was a lot of smoke," said witness Abdulkadir, who lives in the vicinity.

 

Ethiopian army reinforcements rushed to the scene and fired bullets into the air to disperse crowds. Unconfirmed reports said a young boy was wounded in the subsequent gunfire.

 

Today's deadly explosion follows fierce overnight battles in parts of Mogadishu, especially around Industry Road, where Somali-Ethiopian soldiers stand guard around the clock.

 

There were no confirmed reports on casualties from last night's battle, since most civilians have fled the area, but area residents told Garowe Online they could hear loud explosions and the ceaseless exchange of gunfire.

 

Suspected insurgents, armed with rockets and grenades, initiated two separate attacks on the same position, starting at around 7pm local time, sources said.

 

Government officials did not provide details from the battle, but one official privately claimed that government troops "killed some insurgents and captured others."

 

Relevant Links

 

East Africa

Arms and Military Affairs

Conflict, Peace and Security

Ethiopia

Somalia

 

 

 

The Somali government and its Ethiopian military backers have faced a deadly insurgency in Mogadishu, where roadside bombings and rocket attacks have become common since the beginning of 2007.

 

Islamist fighters opposed to the presence of foreign troops have vowed to continue their hit-and-run attacks until Ethiopian troops withdraw from Somalia.

 

The bloody conflict has killed more than 6,000 civilians and displaced nearly 600,000 others, according to UN and aid agency figures.

 

http://allafrica.com/stories/200801160963.html

[Thierry.]

Norf and some say the city has been tamed

 

I say let the aggressor taste some of their own medicine

 

this feels as good as reading Hizbollah send a 1000 rockets before the Israely ceasefire

[N.O.R.F]

Some would treat this as bad news. Some would continue the 'stop and negotiate line' and some would rejoice.

 

More rejoicing IA

[N.O.R.F]

Somalia Fighting Kills 20

By MOHAMED OLAD HASSAN – 16 hours ago

 

MOGADHISU, Somalia (AP) — Islamic militants fired mortar shells and guns in the Somali capital on Thursday, sparking crossfire with Ethiopian troops and their Somali government allies that killed at least 20 people, witnesses said.

 

Mogadishu residents said the Ethiopian and Somali forces came under attack by Islamic insurgents in the south of the city, sparking mortar and artillery battles that killed six civilians and wounded ten. Four Ethiopian and two Somali soldiers were among the dead, witnesses said.

 

A radical Islamic group that was driven from power a year ago by a Western-supported offensive is making a significant comeback in Somalia and the government can do little to stop it, government officials say.

 

Mohamed Haji, a resident who lives near an Ethiopian base in a football stadium in the south of the city, said insurgents had attacked the Ethiopians with rocket-propelled grenades and mortars when they tried to leave their base. He saw two dead Ethiopian soldiers, he said. Another resident, Khadar Nuure, said she also saw two dead Ethiopian troops and two dead Somali government troops.

 

Shamso Sheikh Nor said that when the Ethiopians began returning mortar and artillery fire, three of her neighbors were killed and one was wounded when a shell landed on their house.

 

Said Mohamud Dhore said three of his neighbors had also been killed when their house was shelled in a different neighborhood.

 

Another three people were killed in a separate neighborhood. Two died when their house was hit by a mortar, and another was killed by stray gunfire, said Hassan Ahmed Rage.

 

"We heard the gunfire. Mortars landed and we started to flee to a nearby concrete building," said resident Mahad Farah. "A mortar landed and killed two people who were also running beside me."

 

In the city's main Bakara market, businessman Usman Ga'al said that several mortars had landed and one person had died and five were wounded during the shelling.

 

Dr. Dahir Dhere at Medina hospital said that 15 people had been brought for treatment in total. Four of them had died, he said, bringing the death toll to 20.

 

In a separate incident, five people were wounded after blasts targeted an Ethiopian army convoy moving between Mogadishu and Afgoye, 18 miles to the west, said resident Abdi Mohamed. A bodyguard at Hawa Abdi hospital who declined to give his name for security reasons said that one of the wounded later died.

 

Somalia has not had an effective central government since 1991. Thousands of Somalis were killed last year in fighting between Islamic insurgents and the shaky transitional government and its Ethiopian allies. The insurgents vowed to fight an Iraq-style insurgency after their brief hold on parts of southern Somalia was broken by Ethiopian troops in December 2005.

 

Associated Press Writer Mohamed Sheikh Nor contributed to this report from Mogadishu, Somalia.

[A.J.]

Victory for the people i think. The more of these disgusting pigs that is eliminated from Somalia the better

[Juje]

Originally posted by A.J.:

Victory for the people i think. The more of these disgusting pigs that is eliminated from Somalia the better

Yeah, you can bloody well start in your corner sxb. 'These disgusting pigs' are present and enjoying a siesta in everywhere else in Somalia. They are killed , bombed and maimed in Xamar and the repercussion is this.

 

and this...

 

 

and this where the injured had to share beds cause it was unbelievably numerous.

 

 

Now am glad you are rejoicing at the dead of the 'pigs' but have you thought about the results of your joy.

[xiinfaniin]

Originally posted by Northerner:

Some would treat this as bad news. Some would continue the 'stop and negotiate line' and some would rejoice.

 

More rejoicing IA

I sensed I cheap dig there yaa N! What are you celebrating for brother! 7 Ethio soldiers died but 3 folds of that of your people perished and many more got injured! If you think this strategy would work why do I not see you advocating it in your little corner? Ethiopian cargos can be easily intercepted en rout from Berbera, no?

 

Please don’t let your opposition against certain warlords cloud your rational thinking.

[Baashi]

Northerner is known commodity. He is not ready for muran on that topic.

 

He opposes dirrin process and nomads who take that position but he can not articulate why.

[Kashafa]

Xiin, Maca kaamil ixtiraami,

 

Your 'rational approach' would have the Ethiopian's kill, rape, maim, and massacre with impunity.

 

Your 'rational approach' consists of no more than rosy words and inspirational rhetoric, words like: Negotiate ! Unity ! Reconcilliation ! Love ! One People ! No to Seccession !, empty words that mean nothing but capitualation and surrender dressed up in the garb of 'rationality'.

 

Your 'rational approach' would deliver Somalia on a silver platter to the men who impoverished it's people, raped it's women, destroyed two generations of it's childeren, buried toxic and nuclear waste on it's soil, and handed it over to it's ancient enemy who has been plotting and scheming since 1,000 years to conquer it.

 

Your 'rational approach' would enable and give lasting power to a generation of murderous warlords and infamous traitors. The 'crisis of leadership' you constantly harp upon would be immediately compounded and it's effect multiplied. Unwittingly, you are your own arguement's worst enemy.

 

Your 'rational approach'(stop fighting, negotiate, more accurately described as tuck tail and run, beg for your lives), has never succeeded in the span of human existence. All the nations and peoples of Earth, regardless of creed and colour, have throughout history fought and died in defiance of tyranny, no matter the odds, no matter how remote the chances of success. And they have won.

 

In short, your 'rational approach' has no root in rationality at all. It is a transparent emotionally-rooted plea, based on a humanitarian platform, to stop fighting and just give in to Ethiopian might so that the innocent may live: Let them win, Let them do with us as they please, Let them turn us into a colony or install a puppet government, or turn Somalia into the Kilinka lixaad, Let them commit war crimes. Whatever the heckever. So long as it will lessen the suffering of the innocent civillians(Fallacy alert: They would be suffering under occupation anyway Witness: Somali Galbeed.)

 

One would be well-respected if one had the guts to state that directly without having to lean on 'rationality' 'strategy' or 'wisdom'.

 

Rational approach-ow xaal qaado. If this is the rational approach, give me insanity.

[Juje]

Originally posted by Baashi:

He opposes

dirrin

process and nomads who take that position but he can not articulate why.

Awoowe waxan ka cabsana, at the rate the hoobiyaasha and madafiica are going, in aad weysiid ciid dirin kula so farisata.

[Baashi]

Juje awoowe civil wars are won outright or ended through negotiation. In any rate, you are missing the point. Hang in there though. I wanna deal with the Kelligii-Muslim Green Beret -- again!

 

Rationalizing the crimes committed by an invading army is one thing, making the case for reconciling the warring faction as a means to end the invasion, transition to the post conflict Somalia, and bring closure to the animosity between warring groups is another thing altogether.

 

There is a clear distinction here between the two. Kelligii-Muslim cyber Green Beret seems to be doing his utmost to confuse the two. We’ve been through this before. I made it clear that the dirrin position does not entail supporting TFG, justifying civilian deaths at the hands of TFG militia, or rationalizing Ethiopian occupation. No. Nothing is further from the truth.

 

Somalia is in a conflict with itself. Addis junta dominated by Tigre is exploiting the conflict. Unless and until Somalis find a just solution to their political differences the losing party (either in the battle ground or political front) will look for sponsorship in Addis in order to make a come back of sort. In fact that was one of the reasons this conflict lasted this long. At one point Aideed won the contest in the Southern theatre yet both Nairobi and Addis backed Morgan. RRA is another example. Half of the warlords that originated from Mogadishu went to Addis and pleaded for help.

 

Insurgency, resistance, and what have you are all fine. More power to them. The problem is they are not effective. The tactic employed does more harm to the residents than to the targeted enemy. Above all if the insurgency has no grass root support from cross section of the community on whom behalf they wage the war the chances are they will lose.

 

Now absent of strong and popular resistance that transcends clan and region, one would conclude that the best way forward is to negotiate -- in good faith.

 

Looks like Kashafa is equating negotiation to surrender. He seems to oppose utilizing our faculty in weighing our options in order to make a rational choice. His approach seems to be limited to a war he has no way of winning.

[Sabriye amp co.]

The predictable thus far sad truth is.... When the Occupation forces loose heavy casualties they resort to Indiscriminate shelling of the city.

[xiinfaniin]

Kashafa , my good brother anger and conviction in others wrongness are not enough reasons for me to support this ku-dhufoo-ka-dhaqaq strategy with utter disregard of what the enemy will do next to the innocent civilians in whose midst this war is waged!

 

I would rather have bombers deployed in Addis (it may take few months to plan) than engage in a strategy that gives the enemy enough of my own civilians to avenge for its dead! Unwittingly you are participating in what seems to me a campaign to displace Mogadishu population. With the zeal you display here, I some times question what end goal you are after brother. How in the world could you object to some type of peace deal today given the situation we are in? Because of your pride? Is that it yaa Kashafa? Or because you think this strategy will defeat America, Ethiopia, and tfg militias all combined? If latter, how so? If Mogadishu is destroyed, and its residents made run for their lives--it is emptied, even if Ethiopians withdraw to their borders with all their political influence on other Somali regions intact, would you feel good then if insurgents come out, celebrate, and claim a victory in empty city that would be Mogadishu?

 

How do you define winning?

[A.J.]

Originally posted by Juje:

quote:Originally posted by A.J.:

Victory for the people i think. The more of these disgusting pigs that is eliminated from Somalia the better

Yeah, you can bloody well start in your corner sxb. 'These disgusting pigs' are present and enjoying a siesta in everywhere else in Somalia. They are killed , bombed and maimed in Xamar and the repercussion is this.

 

and this...

 

 

and this where the injured had to share beds cause it was unbelievably numerous.

 

 

Now am glad you are rejoicing at the dead of the 'pigs' but have you thought about the results of your joy.

I dont know if you are going for the shock factor or not with those graphic images, but what those pics show is what these filthy dogs that have invaded somalia are capable off and why their elimination is the only hope for somalia.

[Sabriye amp co.]

AJ. for every struggle for freedom there is a price to pay. You probably know this better then most. Lets just hope that this doesnt turn out to be too much of price.