Bandit Attacks Cause Havoc in
Somalia
Story Filed: Wednesday, March 01, 2000 8:37 PM EST
MOGADISHU (Feb. 29) XINHUA - Fortune-seeking through armed banditry is surfacing
in the Somali capital Mogadishu and Middle Shabelleh region, causing havoc for
both the business and humanitarian activities.
Unidentified gunmen attacked the headquarters of Al-Barakat Telecommunications
Company in Jowhar town of Middle Shabelleh region on Monday night, killing one
of the security guards.
A source in Jowhar, 90 kilometers north of Mogadishu, told Xinhua on Tuesday
morning that the gunmen have taken away 9,000 U.S. dollars and two million
Somali shillings (some 200 dollars).
Meanwhile, the main child and maternity hospital of Mogadishu, SOS, has been
attacked by quite a large number of gunmen from the Sarur subclan of Habar
Gidir.
According to security guards of the hospital, dozens of gunmen equipped with
automatic assault rifles, rocket-propelled grenades and hand bombs have attacked
the hospital with the aim of taking control of the compound.
At least eight people from the two sides were wounded, five from the SOS
security guards and three from the perpetrators of the attack belonging to the
Sarur subclan of Habar Gidir.
Eyewitnesses in the area said the attacking gunmen were repulsed back after the
security guards of the hospital resisted the attack and later on made a tactful
counter-attack which foiled the attempts of the gunmen.
The area of the hospital was tense on Tuesday morning despite the deployment of
Islamic court militiamen in the area following Monday night's fighting.
There has been no central government in the Horn of Africa country since 1991.
And the Somali people are crying for peace and reconciliation in the country
haunted by civil strife.
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