06/09/07 (B411) BBC – nouveaux accrochages sanglants en Somalie, à la veille de l’ouverture de la Conférence de réconciliation (« Bis ») qui doit se tenir en Erythrée à l’initiative des opposants religieux. Ces derniers avaient refusé de participer à la Conférence (« Officielle ») de Mogadiscio, soutenue par la communauté internationale.(En Anglais – Info lectrice)

Somali insurgents’ hideout raided

Nine people have been killed and 20 others seriously injured in Somalia’s capital during a raid on a house by government forces targeting insurgents.

Explosions and gunfire rocked Bakara market in Mogadishu as security forces battled insurgents defending the house thought to be sheltering their leader.

On Wednesday six people were killed during another raid against insurgents.

Mogadishu has seen a rise in violence since Ethiopian-backed government troops ousted Islamists last December

The UN refugee agency says some 400,000 people have fled the fighting in the capital in the past four months.

The BBC’s Mohammed Olad Hassan in Mogadishu says most of those injured during the fighting are civilians who were caught in the crossfire.

Transitional government forces have been carrying out operations against insurgents for the past two months, but this was the first time a house was targeted, our correspondent says.

Interim Prime minister Ali Mohammed Ghedi last month said his forces were working to create a central secure district in Mogadishu to protect international workers and vulnerable people.

Mr Ghedi said the green zone would be similar to that in Iraqi’s capital, Baghdad.

Meanwhile Somali opposition groups are gathering in the Eritrean capital, Asmara, ahead of Thursday’s conference aimed at uniting forces against the Ethiopian-backed transitional government.

About 450 delegates who include, Islamists leaders, opposition politicians, religious leaders and civil society groups in the diaspora are expected at the conference.