Garowe Online (Garowe)
1 October 2008
At least 9 people were killed and 13 others wounded Wednesday afternoon in Somalia's capital, Radio Garowe reported.
The violence sparked after several mortars hit Mogadishu's Aden Adde International Airport, where the African Union's peacekeeping force in Somalia (AMISOM) is based.
Muktar Robow "Abu Mansur," al Shabaab spokesman
The mortars were launched by al Shabaab, an Islamist guerrilla group that threatened to shoot down airplanes landing at the airport. In March this year, the U.S. government officially designated al Shabaab as a terrorist organization.
An AU military plane landed and took off safely from the airport today, AMISOM spokesman Major Bahoku Barigye told reporters.
Many of the civilians died when artillery shells hit Bakara Market, the country's largest marketplace.
Somali opposition leaders have disagreed over al Shabaab's threat to shoot down airplanes, with key opposition figures arguing that the airport has many benefits for the civilian population. [ READ: Opposition feud over Ethiopia pullout of central Somalia]
Since September 16, upwards of 60 people have been killed in airport-related violence in Mogadishu.
Somalia's Islamist-led insurgents have demanded the withdrawal of foreign troops backing the country's interim government.
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