Islamists attack Somali presidential palace

May 23, 2010 11:53 pm | Updated November 17, 2021 05:49 am IST - MOGADISHU

Somalia's Al-Qaeda-inspired Shebab rebels attacked the presidential palace in Mogadishu overnight, sparking a battle that left at least 14 civilians dead, said officials and witnesses on Sunday.

The Islamist insurgents fired salvos of mortar rounds and closed in on the presidential area even as the world was pledging renewed support to Somali President Sharif Sheikh Ahmed at a conference in Turkey.

Sporadic gunfire could be heard midday Sunday after African Union troops stopped the insurgent advance and defended the shrivelled seaside perimetre housing Mr. Sharif's embattled government.

“The number of civilians killed during the clashes overnight has reached 11 and it could be higher, because the violent militants using mortars attacked several other positions in southern Mogadishu,” Mohamed Ali Idle, a Somali government security official, told AFP.

The victims included five members of the same family who were killed when a mortar shell smashed into their home.

0 / 0
Sign in to unlock member-only benefits!
  • Access 10 free stories every month
  • Save stories to read later
  • Access to comment on every story
  • Sign-up/manage your newsletter subscriptions with a single click
  • Get notified by email for early access to discounts & offers on our products
Sign in

Comments

Comments have to be in English, and in full sentences. They cannot be abusive or personal. Please abide by our community guidelines for posting your comments.

We have migrated to a new commenting platform. If you are already a registered user of The Hindu and logged in, you may continue to engage with our articles. If you do not have an account please register and login to post comments. Users can access their older comments by logging into their accounts on Vuukle.