Somalia: Mortars Hit Mogadishu Hospital

Disabled Somali war veterans are the latest victims of the nation's insurgents.

Mortar shells that landed on a former hospital in Mogadishu killed at least nine people and wounded several more on Saturday.

The building housed members of Somali forces disabled during a war with Ethiopia in 1977.

It lies between the presidential palace and Mogadishu's port, both targets for hard-liners here who want to impose their own version of sharia law.

Residents said the shells - fired during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan - missed their intended target.

[Abdi Abshir, Witness]:
"There is a canteen supported by Dubai Red Cross and those dead people were preparing to end their fasting when the mortar hit."

Those who escaped were wheeled to safety as family members and friends of victims mourned outside.

African Union peacekeeping troops patrol the area but have so far been unable to stop attacks, resulting in the worst violence during Ramadan in 20 years.

The insurgency has killed more than 18,000 Somalis since the start of 2007 and displaced another 1.5 million.

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News & Politics

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• NTD
• News
• Somalia
• India
• Mortars
• Mogadishu
• Ethiopia
• Muslim
• Ramadan

[jamal614]

they even kill those who are dying in the month of Ramadan. Somalis every where you R U need to free ur country from AL_SHABAB OR ur PPL will live in dark dayz .....not that they don"t now

[mapulento]

check out the african union...