Ground troops from the US-backed AMISOM forces enter the town of Wanlaweyn in Somalia. The country has 17,000 troops occupying the Horn of Africa state on behalf of the Pentagon and NATO., a photo by Pan-African News Wire File Photos on Flickr.
Saturday, October 20th, 2012 at 12:47 am
Somalia: landmine hits AMISOM convoy in Wanlaweyn district
Mogadishu (RBC) reports we are getting from wanlaweyn district of lower shebelle region say that a huge landmine blast has on late Friday hit AMISOM convoy in Wanlaweyn district.
As residents confirmed to Raxanreeb the blast went off as AMISOM convoy snaked its way through to Leego residence, causing unconfirmed casualties.
The allied forces have recently captured Leego and Wanlaweyn districts from Al-shabab Militants on September.
The blast was a land mine earthed deliberately in the road that one of the convoy trucks ran over it and it immediately detonated.
Gunshots were heard from the scene of the incidents that opened by the targeted forces.
And tension was high in the area moments after the explosion as the troops closed the road to Leego for trafficking and carried out search out operations.
It is still unclear the casualties caused by the blast though the truck that hit by the landmine was completely burned and destroyed.
Reports say that countless response forces and armored vehicles have reached at the site of incident immediately after the blast.
No groups have claimed the responsibility for the attack and no arrests have been made for the attack.
Wanlaweyn and Leego locations are the areas that recently liberated and Seized by the allied forces from Al-shabab rebels.
Saturday, October 20th, 2012 at 12:39 am
Somalia: Puntland state seizes explosive weapons and arms
Bossaso (RBC) the security forces and coastal armies of semi-autonomous region of Puntland state have on late Friday night announced the seizure of cache of weapons and bomb materials in the northern coastline district of Qandala of Bari region. Officials say,
The governor of bari region, Abdisamad Mohamed and the state admiral chief of navy forces, Abdirizak Diriye farah who held together a news conference in Bossaso port have said, that the capture of this explosive devices were eased by the people and officials In qandala district who bravely informed to the security forces.
Abdisamad Mohamed Gallan, the governor of Bari province told BBC Somali that the residents in Qandala district have reported these explosive devices to the security forces.
‘’ local communities have contacted us and we acted urgently by sending security forces together navy forces and state officials to Qandala district and seized the arms and several ammunitions’’ said Governor Gallan.
Adding that he thinks the weapons were imported from Yemen and that the weapons were heading to Al-shabab militias and said it was a big seize and failure to the rebels.
State admiral for navy forces of Puntland abdirizak Diriye said the seized materials include: rocket-propelled grenade launchers, several machineguns, and countless ammunitions, missiles and ant-aircraft artillery which three days ago brought to the district by Arab smugglers.
However, it is unclear the carriers of this cache weapons and their destinations but Bari officials and puntland navy forces have said they are investigating the matter.
Qanadala is a coastal town, situated east of Bassaso city along the Gulf of Aden in northern Somalia.
Thursday, October 18th, 2012 at 06:27 pm
SOMALIA: Armed men assassinate district administrative official in Mogadishu
Mogadishu (RBC) Unidentified assailants have assassinated on Thursday a district administrative official in Mogadishu’s Dharkenley constituency, RBC Radio reports.
Eyewitnesses told RBC Radio that Mohamed Burus, who was the head of Jiiro-Miskin department of Dharkenley district was shot dead in front of his home at Jiiro-Miskin location around 8.am on Thursday morning by unidentified gun men who eventually escaped from the scene.
Local police have reached the crime scene but no one was arrested for the assassination.
Mr Burus becomes the third district official assassinated in Mogadishu since the start of this year.
No one yet knows the motive of the killing but this district is notorious for independent armed militias who patrol every side of the district. In early of September a local journalist was also shot dead at the same place.
Meanwhile The district officials did not comment on Mr Burus’s killing.
Wednesday, October 17th, 2012 at 06:59 am
UN urged to approve funding for Kenya’s Navy in Somalia
Nairobi (RBC Radio) The African Union and a United Nations special envoy urged the UN Security Council on Tuesday to approve funding for a naval component of the AU forces fighting to stabilise Somalia.
Kenya is the only African nation known to be contributing naval support for the AU’s military mission in Somalia (Amisom).
But Kenyan naval units have not been formally integrated into Amisom, which is funded largely by the United States and European Union under UN auspices.
Approval of the request to endow Amisom with a naval component would result in a sizable financial benefit for Kenya, which has deployed forces in Somalia for the past 12 months.
Kenya’s ground troops in Somalia were incorporated into Amisom in July.
“The capture of Kismayu highlighted the critical role of maritime assets and capabilities in the ongoing campaign,” the AU said in a report presented to the Security Council.
Referring to Kenyan naval forces, the AU added, “Indeed, the complex operation that led to the capture of Kismayu involved patrols along the coast, as well as an amphibious assault on the beaches of the city.”
Augustine Mahiga, the UN secretary general’s special representative for Somalia, affirmed the appeal for Amisom to be given a naval component.
He told the Security Council on Tuesday that the Kenya-led capture of Kismayu represents “a decisive turning point in the conflict.”
Mr Mahiga said it is “essential” that Amisom be supported to control more effectively the coastal waters around Kismayu and other Somali cities.
The objective of an Amisom naval force would be to protect the AU’s own forces and supply lines and to interrupt Shabaab’s resupply lines while also securing the ports for commercial use, Mr Mahiga explained.
Due in large part to the rout of Shabaab from Kismayu, the Islamist insurgency has been degraded to the status of a “rag-tag militia,” Mr Mahiga said.
He warned, however, that Shabaab will remain dangerous as it focuses on terrorist and hit-and-run tactics.
Source: www.nation.co.ke
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