Somalia’s Islamist militant group al-Shabab, accused of having links to al-Qaeda, has claimed responsibility for a suicide bombing in the capital.

The group’s political leader Sheik Husein Ali Fidow said a Somali teenager had carried out Sunday’s attack, which killed six soldiers and a civilian.

Meanwhile, Somalia’s president has asked for international help to stop foreigners fighting with the militants.

Some 60,000 people have fled the recent upsurge of fighting in Mogadishu.

President Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed, a moderate Islamist elected by a unity government in January as part of a UN-backed peace initiative, said a government offensive against the insurgents would continue.

Very little is being done by the international agencies because of the fragile security situation UNHCR’s Roberta Russo

About 200 people are thought to have been killed since the beginning of May, as Islamist insurgents try to topple the fragile interim government.

The UN refugee agency’s Roberta Russo said an estimated 8,000 were displaced on Friday alone when the government offensive began.

“Some of the people had only recently returned to Mogadishu because of the relative peace since the beginning of the year,” she told the BBC’s Network Africa programme.

Mr Ahmed, whose introduction of Sharia law has not appeased the Islamist insurgents, said mediation by clerics had failed and his government had no choice but to fight on.

Water aid

Al-Shabab denied claims that the suicide car bomber, who drove a pick-up truck to the gates of a police training school, was a foreigner, but has admitted it had “Muslim brothers” from other countries fighting in its ranks.

Mr Fidow warned that such attacks against government and African Union (AU) targets would continue in the weeks and months ahead.

Hardline Islamist groups want to impose a stricter version of Islamic law and they want AU peacekeepers to leave Somalia.

President Ahmed told reporters in the capital: “The world should help us get rid of the foreigners who are fighting against the Somali government.”

He said some of the foreigners had fought in Iraq and Afghanistan.

BBC East Africa correspondent Will Ross says suicide bomb attacks are relatively rare in Somalia.

The last was in February, when two suicide bombers attacked an AU military base killing at least 11 Burundian soldiers.

The AU is not involved in the fighting as the 4,300-strong force does not have a mandate to pursue the insurgents.

The UNHCR says many of those fleeing the city are women and children.

“Very often their husbands have been killed and they are leaving Mogadishu with very little,” Ms Russo said.

“Those going to Afgoye, 30km (18 miles) south-west from Mogadishu, are asking the 400,000 internally displaced people already there to share the little they have.

“Very little is being done by the international agencies because of the fragile security situation.”

The BBC’s Mohammed Olad Hassan in Mogadishu says local non-governmental organisations are trying to distribute water to some of the displaced, who are living out in the open under trees.

Mogadishu has been blighted by 18 years of almost uninterrupted civil unrest

Wasiiradda Arrimaha Dibedda ee Urur goboleedka IGAD, oo kulan degdeg ah maanta ku yeeshay magaalada Addis Ababa ayaa ugu baaqay in UN-ku go’doomiyo dekedaha iyo garoomada diyaaradaha ee yaryar ee ay gacanta ku hayaan kooxaha Islaamiyiinta Soomaaliya.

Wasiirada IGAD ayaa sheegay in tallaabadan ay muhiim tahay si looga hortago in ay hub iyo dagaalyahano ajnabi ah dibedda looga keeno kooxahaasi, si ay ula dagaallamaan dowladda KMG ah ee Soomaaliya, sida ay yiraahdeen

Waxaa sidoo kale ay ku baaqeen in QM ay cunaqabateyn saarto dowladda Eritrea, oo ay ku eedeeyeen inay taageereyso kooxaha islaamiyiinta.

Shirkaasi deg dega ah ee maanta ay Wasiiradda arrimaha dibedda ee IGAD ku yeesheen magaalada Addis Ababa, waxaa dhinaca Soomaalida dadkii ka qeybgalay ka mid ahaa Safiirka Soomaaliya ee magaalada Addis Ababa Saciid Yusuf Nuur.

Cabdiraxmaan Koronto ayaa telefoonka kula xiriiray oo marka hore weydiiyay maxaa la taaban karaa oo ka soo baxay shir kan aan caadig ahayn ee ay isugu yimaadeen wasiiradda.

Source: BBC Somali

Ururka Al-shabaab oo dagaal kula jira dowlada Somalia ayaa diiday inuu aqbalo xabada-joojiyo loo soo jeediyay uuna ka qaybgalo wadahadalo ay wado hay’adda culumada Soomaaliyeed, iyadoo la sheegay in ururka Xisbul Islam uu aqbalay xabadjoojin loo soo jeediyay.

Sh. Bashiir Axmed Salaad oo ah gudoomiyaha ha’yada culumada ayaa warfidiyeenka ugu sheegay Muqdisho in dadaalkooda aysan ka caajisayn, balse saraakiisha Al-shabaab ay diideen inay rasaas joogin aqbalaan.

“Dadaalada nabadeed kama quusanayno, waxaan mahad u jeedinaynaa saraakiisha Xisbul Islam oo ogolaaday xabadjoojin iyo wadahadal, waxaase diidan heshiis kooxda Al-shabaab” ayuu yiri Sh. Bashiir.

Sh. Xuseen Cali Fidow oo dhawaan u hadlay ururka Al-shabaab ayaa ku eedeeyay hay’adaha culumada Soomaaliyeed inay gacan saar la leeyihiin xukuumada, isla markaana aysan dhexdhexaad ahayn.

Dagaalada u dhexeeya mucaaradka ka horjeeda xukuumada iyo ciidamada dowlada ayaa sababay dhimashada dad ka badan 130-qof, iyadoo ay dhaawacmeen 400-qof, kuwaasoo ay ku jiraan caruur iyo haween.

Inta badan Muqdisho ayaa waxaa gacanta ku haya kooxaha mucaaradka ah, iyadoo saldhiyo badan oo muhim ah lagala wareegay xukuumada Somalia, halkaasoo ay ku sugnaayeen maleeshiyo Islaamiyiin ah oo dowlada gacansaar la leh.

Wasiirka Iskaashiga iyo xiriirka caalamiga ah ayaa ku hanjabay maanta inay xoog u adeegsan doonaan maalmaha soo socda mucaaradka si ay uga saaraan magaalada oo dhan.

“Xukukumadu waxay maalmaha soo socta dagaal adag la geli doontaa kooxaha diidan nabada iyo diinta Islaamka, kuwaasoo gacanta siinaya shisheeye doonaya inay Somalia ka dhigaan goob colaadeed” ayuu yiri C/raxmaan C/shakur Warsame.

Hadalka wasiirka ayaa imaanaya iyadoo maanta ay dagan tahay Muqdisho, kadib sideed maalmood oo ay ka socdeen dagaalo xiriir ah oo u dhexeeya mucaaradka iyo ciidamada dowlada.

Source GAROWE ONLINE