Some 20 persons killed in confrontations among Somali groups
Somalia, Politics, 1/10/2000

Some 20 persons were killed at least and another 32 were wounded during the two past days in confrontations that took place between the warring Somali factions in Deinsour city, southern Somalia.

AFP quoted eyewitnesses as saying on Sunday that confrontations which took place between Dabaar group and other elements from Rahanwin group started on Friday and continued until Saturday.

The eyewitnesses said that the atmospheres were calm on Sunday, yet gunfire was frequently heard.

The Somali daily Qaran said on Sunday that the number of deaths may rise higher.

Other eyewitnesses said that 28 persons were killed and 39 others wounded, but these figures were not confirmed by a neutral source.

The district's regional director, Muhammad Aden Qlinli, told AFP that he was told about confrontation took place in Deinsour, but he indicated that casualties are not "certainly so high."

Qlinli said he will contact officers from al-Rahanwin resistance army to get more precise information.

Meanwhile, Mogadishu's dailies said on Sunday that Deinsour battles were because of fees imposed by the al-Rahanwin Resistance Army which controls the region.

Qlinli, the former spokesman for the al-Ranwin ResistanceAarmy in Mogadishu denied all these reports.

Similar confrontations took place in Deinsour three months ago and resulted in killing 14 persons.

Previous Stories:
  Somalia: Humanitarian organization's engineer killed   (1/4/2000)
  Confrontation in Mogadishu   (1/3/2000)
  Agreement on a united administration for Mogadishu   (12/23/1999)

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