By Sahra Abdi Ahmed

KISMAYU, Somalia (Reuters) - An explosion tore through a ceremony in southern Somalia on Sunday, killing at least four people and wounding more than 20 others including senior military and police commanders, witnesses "" >

 
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Oddly Enough
1:02PM EST, Sun 11 Feb 2007
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Blast kills 4 at Somalia ceremony

Sun Feb 11, 2007 6:37AM EST
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By Sahra Abdi Ahmed

KISMAYU, Somalia (Reuters) - An explosion tore through a ceremony in southern Somalia on Sunday, killing at least four people and wounding more than 20 others including senior military and police commanders, witnesses said.

The attack on Kismayu's Independence Gardens was the latest post-war bloodshed in the Horn of Africa nation, which has endured almost daily violence since government forces backed by Ethiopian armor ousted an Islamist movement over the New Year.

""There was a blast and people started running for their lives, all shouting 'bomb!, bomb!',"" said Mohamed Daud, who was in the crowd. ""Police started firing in all directions...Most of the wounded are civilians.""

Another witness, Abdulahi Mohamed, said he saw the bodies of two traditional elders, a civilian and a government soldier.

A Reuters reporter at the ceremony said south Somalia's police chief, Gen. Ahmed Mohamed, was injured in the legs and face by shrapnel. Four Somali army colonels were also wounded.

Speaking by telephone from Baidoa town, the interim government's defense minister, Abdikadir Adan Shire, confirmed people had died, but said he had not received a full report yet.

The government says Islamist hardliners and some of their foreign supporters have launched near-daily mortar, rocket and gun attacks since the religious movement fled into the bush.  Continued...

 

© Reuters 2007. All rights reserved.

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