al-shabaab Mortar shell injures 8 women in Mogadishu

MOGADISHU--At least eight women have been injured in Mogadishu by a mortar shell after Islamist Insurgents attacked Jalle Siad Academy, a base of Burundian troops from the African Union peace keepers in Mogadishu, witnesses said on Monday. Residents said Insurgents armed with machine guns and rockets attacked the Burundian base and the Burundians defended from the Insurgents. Witnesses said the mortar landed in front of a building that the victims were sheltering from the bullets that the two sides were exchanging. Eight wounded civilian women, including children were taken to the city’s Medina hospital in south Mogadishu. Two insurgents preparing to fire mortars in Mogadishu(file)The victims have recently returned to Mogadishu after the Ethiopian troops pulled out from Somalia in mid January, 2009.
al-shabaab group has claimed the responsibility of the attack yet and the AU troops could not be reached for comment on Monday’ attack. A mortar shell killed a child and wounded six others in Mogadishu on Sunday after Insurgents fired mortars to the Ugandan troops based in K4 area in the south of the city. On the other hand, the leader of the Somali clerics, Sheik Bashir Ahmed Salad, said Monday that the Insurgents will be held accountable for any casualties from mortars fired by either the Insurgents or the foreign troops if the insurgents start the attack.
The clerics had called earlier the Islamist insurgents to stop the fighting and give the government led by president Sharif Sheik Ahmed time to implement the Islamic Law, but Islamist including al-shabab rejected the call.