10 civilians killed in Somalia
MOGADISHU, Somalia: A rocket-propelled grenade attack and gunfight targeting African Union peacekeepers killed at least 10 civilians and wounded two peacekeepers, witnesses said Thursday, as a leading member of an Islamic militia that used to rule this city called on residents to fight all "nonbelievers."
The peacekeepers, who started arriving Tuesday and are the first in Mogadishu in more than a decade, were attacked Wednesday night at a main intersection in one of the most dangerous and gun-infested cities in the world.
Mustaf Farah, a restaurant owner who witnessed Wednesday's attack, said he heard an explosion as three armored vehicles carrying peacekeepers went by, followed by gunfire.
"We saw our customers sitting in front of the restaurant bleeding and crying out with pain and shock," he said.
The approximately 800 peacekeepers from Uganda are the vanguard of a larger force authorized by the United Nations to help the government assert its authority. The government, backed by troops from neighboring Ethiopia, toppled a radical Islamic militia here in late December, but is struggling to keep control.
Insurgents believed to be the remnants of Somalia's Council of Islamic Courts have staged almost daily attacks against the government, its armed forces or the Ethiopian military.
The Islamic Courts' military commander, Aden Hashi Ayro, allegedly trained by al-Qaida, urged Somalis to attack peacekeepers, according to a Web posting late Wednesday.
"It is time for the Somali youth to fight the occupation by Ethiopia and others," he said. "The Muslims shall not surrender to nonbelievers."
Ayro, who is in his mid-30s, is said to have received al-Qaida training in Afghanistan. He has been linked by U.N. officials to the murders of 16 people, including BBC journalist Kate Peyton. Counterterrorism officials also believe he was involved in a plot — never carried out — to bring down an Ethiopian airliner.
Paddy Ankunda, the Ugandan forces' spokesman, told a local radio station that two peacekeepers were wounded. He would not elaborate when contacted by The Associated Press.
Deputy Defense Minister Salad Ali Jelle said the attack would not deter the peacekeepers.
"The police are investigating the incident and the culprits will be treated with iron hands, soon," he told The Associated Press.
The surge of violence shows the volatility peacekeepers face in a country that has seen little more than anarchy for more than a decade. Several other African countries also have promised troops, but no date has been set for their arrival.
The first batch of Ugandan troops arrived Tuesday at Mogadishu International Airport, and insurgents fired mortars at them during the welcoming ceremony. One civilian was wounded.
Botan Hirey Kheyre, a local elder, said Wednesday's ambush was the latest example of civilians suffering.
"Both the assailants and the AU troops disappeared immediately," he said. "It was the civilians who suffered before our eyes," he said.
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Associated Press Writer Mohamed Sheikh Nor contributed to this report.
Somalia. 

Ugandan troops arriving in Somalia as part of an African Union (AU) peacekeeping force, came under attack even before they went on patrol.

The Ugandan troops, 400 of whom arrived on Tuesday and another 400 the day after, were deployed to the capital Mogadishu as replacements for Ethiopian troops to support the Transitional Federal Parliament (TFP). 

Ethiopia intervened to help the TFP oust the Islamic Courts Union (IUC), which had held power for six months.

"Convoys of Ugandan troops were ambushed as they were passing the main junction in Mogadishu, and they exchanged heavy gunfire with the insurgents," said Shino Abdukadir, an eyewitness.

Somalia's Deputy Defense Minister Salad Ali Jelle said the Ugandan troops suffered no casualties. There were 10 civilians killed in the attack.

Assane Ba of the African Union said: "The AU has promised to deploy in Somalia and in Mogadishu. The attacks and threats do not set back the deployment."

A Mogadishu radio station broadcast a message from IUC member and Hizbul Shabaab leader, Aden Hashi Ayro, calling for attacks on the peacekeepers. "It is time for the Somali youth to fight the occupation by Ethiopia and others. The Muslims shall not surrender to non-believers."