Seven Ugandan soldiers escaped uninjured when a cargo plane transporting the soldiers to Somalia's capital caught fire as it landed at Mogadishu's airport, officials said. A Somali Islamic group had claimed that it had shot at the aircraft, but Uganda's army spokesman, Paddy Ankunda told the BBC, investigations so far suggest a technical problem.
Witnesses said the planes appeared to have suffered severe damage.
"I was inside the international airport. I saw a huge plane that was trying to land, then two of its wings caught fire ... then the fire spread to the back of the plane," said a government security official, who declined to be named.
Firefighters extinguished the fire with help from troops on the plane, he added.
Mohamed Weli, a businessman who was at Mogadishu International Airport at the time, also witnessed the fire.
"I heard a small explosion when the plane landed and then I saw the plane burning at the back and in its wings," Weli said.
ON Thursday a face to face combat operations began between Islamist soldiers and the Ugandan Peace Keepers in the KM4 road, as Ugandan troops passed on the main junction with a convoy of at least 7 trucks, they were ambushed my many fighters waiting on the corners, several RPGs where fired at them inflicting casualties on the troops at least 10 civilians died as the Ugandans fired on all directions as they drove at speed to move away from the junction, one deadly rocket hit a restaurant packed with civilians killing as many as 9 on the ensuing battle.
Adan Xaashi Eyrow, the leader of the Shabab fighters (the youth) and America's most wanted who was thought to have died in the American bombings posted an audio claiming that he was still alive and well and vowed to carry on the jihad against the Ethiopian troops.
Adan Eyrow fought in the Afghan war against the Americans in early 2001, and is accused of desecrating the Italian cemetery in Mogadishu in late 2005 which caused international outrage, the Americans and Ethiopians were boasting on the media that they had killed him after allegedly finding his blood stained passport near the Kenyan border in early January of this year.
Meanwhile Kismayo the capital of the Jubba regions, it was confirmed that all the Ethiopian troops have abandoned the town and moved out towards their side of the border as the situation in their country is getting out of hand with the kidnap of British diplomats "tourists" by afar rebels, Ethiopia is suffering from many internal rebels an cannot sustain keeping their troops in Somalia for long.
Kenyan border police who spoke to press revealed that heavily armed Islamic courts fighters are moving around the border area sometimes crossing into the border villages to buy from the market, but his police units are unable to confront them as they do not have the fire power and does not want to start clashes.
KC
Our button
print version
