Violence in Southern Somalia Kills 11

Posted November 22nd, 2011 at 1:50 pm (UTC-5)
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An unidentified fighter jet has bombed a rebel-held town in Somalia, killing one person, while a blast in the capital, Mogadishu, has killed at least 10.

Residents say the warplane struck the al-Shabab-controlled village of Yaqle on Tuesday. The village is located in Somalia's Gedo region near the Kenya border.

Separately Tuesday, a roadside bomb exploded in the Wadajir district of southern Mogadishu. Witnesses told VOA the attack took place on a busy road just north of Mogadishu's airport.

That road is often used by Somali government officials and African Union soldiers.

Somali forces backed by African Union troops forced al-Shabab out of the capital in recent months, but militants remain active in the area.

Kenyan forces entered southern Somalia in October to hunt for al-Shabab, and since then have conducted sporadic airstrikes on militant targets.

Kenya has blamed the Islamist insurgents for a string of kidnappings of foreigners on Kenyan soil.

Earlier this week, witnesses reported seeing Ethiopian troops enter Somalia.

Somali Defense Minister Hussein Araba Issa said the Ethiopian troops will work alongside Somali government forces. However, the Ethiopian government has denied sending troops into Somalia.

Al-Shabab has been fighting since 2008 to topple Somalia's weak central government. The group is believed to have links to al-Qaida, and is considered a terrorist organization by the U.S. government.