By C/raxmaan Diini, Hiiraan Online
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Tuesday, July 15, 2008
Sources near the military base have confirmed to HOL that about six mortar shells landed in and around the base causing Ethiopian troops to respond with heavy shelling and heavy machine guns aimed at the direction the attack came from.
The extent of casualties and damages as a resulted of the attack is not yet clear. It is not the first time Ethiopian troops come under attack at this base. On July 10 2008 a similar attack by Union of Islamic Courts (UIC) forces targeted the base.
This attack, however, comes a day after senior UIC officials had a meeting with the elders of the city of Beledweyne where the two sides agreed to the redeployment of UIC forces outside the city to avoid military confrontation between Ethiopian troops and the UIC forces in the city.
It is also noteworthy that this attack comes at time when residents who fled the city recently have started coming back to their homes after the news of the redeployment of the UIC forces outside the city got out. It is not known yet whether this latest attack on Ethiopian troops will create fears in the people returning to the city.
Additional contribution by Mohamed Amin Ahmed, Hiiraan Online
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