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Africa
US warplanes target Somali town
Four civilians reportedly killed in town close to the Kenyan border.
Last Modified: 03 Mar 2008 10:13 GMT

US military planes have attacked a Somali town near the Kenyan border overnight killing at least four civilians, local elders say.
 
The AFP news agency said the town of Dhoble was held by anti-government fighters.
A local leader said two missiles had been fired from the aircraft.
 
But Abdullahi Sheikh Duale, a town elder said on Monday three bombs had been dropped on the town. He said houses had been hit and four civilians killed.

Sheikh Mukhtar Robow, a spokesman for the Islamic movement which is leading an insurgency against the Somali government, confirmed the attack.

 

"I can confirm to you that the Americans bombed the town and hit  civilians targets thinking that they were Islamist hideouts. They used an AC 130 plane," Robow said.

  

If confirmed, this would be at least the third time the US  military will have conducted operations inside Somalia since 2007.

  

In June 2007 a US Navy destroyer shelled suspected al-Qaeda targets in mountainous and remote areas in northeastern Somalia where anti-government fighters were believed to have bases.

 

Earlier the same year a US aerial gunship bombed positions held by anti-government fighters in southern Somalia, coming to the aid of the Somali  government forces which had ousted the Islamic Courts Union from most of the  country's southern and central regions.
Source:
Agencies
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