Mogadishu 14,Nov.07 ( Sh.M.Network)-Ethiopia has denied involvement in a mortar attack that killed at least 17 people in the main market in Somalia's capital, Mogadishu, on Thursday.

More gunfire and explosions were heard near Bakara market on Friday morning, but there are no details of casualties.

Ethiopian troops backing the interim Somali government were earlier reported to be behind Thursday's shelling, in which more than 40 people were injured.

Eyewitnesses said the deadly shells landed among shoppers.
Ethiopian government adviser Berekat Simon said the insurgents had been severely weakened, so Ethiopia had no need to target markets.

However, in what is seen as a rare admission of the Somali government's weakness, a senior national security ministry official on Thursday said that 80% of the country is outside government control and not safe.

Sheikh Qasim Ibrahim Nur also warned that Islamist insurgents had regrouped and were poised to launch a major strike.

Source BBC


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