Somalia: Mogadishu violence kills 5

Aweys Osman Yusuf

Mogadishu 29, July.07  At least four grenade explosions rocked Somalia's biggest open-air market on Sunday, killing two civilians and wounding 5 others. Witnesses told Shabelle that unknown gunmen hurled grenade at the areas frequented by the government troops. The blasts occurred minutes of one another.

The two civilians were killed in Bakara's electronic section after unknown gunmen targeting government police hurled a grenade which blasted outside an electronic shop.

"Two people have been killed and 3 have been wounded in the incident", Abdulahi Hashi, an electronic shop owner, in Bakara told Shabelle.

The market has been quiet since the government ordered the withdrawal of the troops from it on July 21.

Also government troops killed a car driver in KPP neighborhood, south of the capital on Sunday. Witnesses said the troops told the driver to stop the car as they have been searching cars in the area for weapons.

"They told him to stop but when he failed to do so they pointed their guns at the car and the driver was armed with a pistol which he aimed at them. Then they stated shooting," said one witness, who gave his name as Abdikarim.

Nonetheless, two government soldiers were killed in Suuq Baad neighborhood, north of the capital after unknown gunmen ambushed a number of Somali troops based in the area.