Mogadishu, Somalia – The Somali government announced a massive operation to stamp out an insurgency Thursday, hours after two explosions rocked the capital, killing at least four people.
A spokesman for Mogadishu’s mayor said the operation began Thursday, though he refused to discuss the number of troops taking part. He said authorities planned to divide the city into four security zones and station soldiers at every junction.
Hours earlier, assailants hurled a hand grenade at a joint Somali-Ethiopian patrol in southern Mogadishu, killing a soldier, said a resident, Ismail Ibrahim Ali. He said soldiers arrested dozens of civilians in his district after the blast.
Ethiopian soldiers have been bolstering Somalia’s weak government since helping to topple an Islamic militia that had controlled much of southern Somalia for six months. The capital has since been mired in fighting between troops and insurgents that has left thousands dead.
Three civilians died in a blast and gunfire at Bakara market.
“I heard an explosion, and all of a sudden, a dead woman fell on me,” said Mulki Ahmed Muse, who had been shopping. She also saw the body of a man and three injured people.
Street hawker Gaashaan Abdi said a man hurled a grenade at a police patrol, and “police opened fire in every direction.”
Medina Hospital received eight people wounded in the attack, one of whom later died, said Fartun Ali, a nurse.
Bakara Market is the scene of frequent skirmishes between government forces and rebels. This week, a fire destroyed about 200 stalls, and a merchant died in subsequent looting.
