Shabelle Media Network (Mogadishu)
11 July 2008
Armed Somali soldiers on Friday have shot dead seven civilians in Deynile neighborhood north of Mogadishu according to eyewitnesses.
Witness Mohamud Ahmed Toshow said the soldiers shot dead the civilians they suspected as islamist fighters.
The soldiers, he said, then opened fire in the direction of bystanders, killing at least 7 civilian passers-by outright.
Hassan Nur a resident in Deynile, said six people died at the spot while the other one died on his way to the hospital.
"It was a horrific scene, blood scattered everywhere," said witness Yusuf Haji. "I saw the dead bodies of at least 6 people lying in the middle of the road."
Yasin Abdulle said 12-year-old was among those shot. "He was a peace-lover. ... why was he killed?" he wept.
"If the international community does not push the soldiers to stop such wicked acts, the remaining Somalis will die before their eyes."
Speaking to Shabelle radio after the incident the commissioner of Deynile neighborhood Moqtar Hassan Addow has described those were killed by the soldiers as "Insurgents"
"our soldiers killed their enemy' we killed no civilians I am in no doubt that" he said.
Some residents identified some of the deceased as wee-known residents.
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