http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1602174/posts
"Hundreds flee Mogadishu fighting(Battle between Warlords and an Islamic militia)"
BBC News ^ | 24 March 2006 | BBC
Posted on 03/23/2006 10:21:26 PM PST by Marius3188
ARTICLE SNIPPET: "Hundreds of people have been fleeing the northern suburbs of Mogadishu after two days of heavy fighting in the Somali capital.
Doctors say at least 60 people have been killed and that the hospitals are full of injured civilians.
Residents say mortars are being used in the battle between an Islamic militia and warlords.
The warlords have accused the Islamists of sheltering foreign fighters and assassinating moderate Muslims.
The United Nations' Irin news agency quotes a doctor saying many more than 60 people may have been killed "because a lot of people are being buried where they died".
The BBC's Mohammed Olad Hassan says hundreds of residents have been forced to leave after their homes were hit by anti-tank shells and mortar rounds.
He says more than 100 armed vehicles have been deployed and more than 100 militiamen are fighting.
"Really the situation is very horrific there, many people could be seen fleeing from the area with their children on their backs and what you can see on the ground is only militiamen carrying guns from the line of fighting," he said.
Ideological differences
In February, the clan-based warlords formed an alliance to challenge the Islamic militia which is loyal to a system of Sharia courts.
The Islamic militia says it is trying to establish law and order but the warlords accuse the courts of terrorising the people of Somalia.
The dispute started near the port area, which is currently controlled by powerful businessmen."
ON THE NET...
ICC-CCS.org - THE WEEKLY PIRACY REPORT
http://www.icc-ccs.org/prc/piracyreport.php
SNIPPET: "Weekly Piracy Report
14-20 March 2006
The following is a summary of the daily reports broadcast by the IMB's Piracy Reporting Centre to ships in Atlantic, Indian and Pacific Ocean Regions on the SafetyNET service of Inmarsat-C from 14 to 20 March 2006.
ALERT
Somalia - NE and Eastern Coast
Thirty nine incidents have been reported since 15.03.05. Heavily armed pirates are now attacking ships further away from the coast. Ships not making scheduled calls at Somali ports are advised to keep at least 200 nm from the Somali coast."
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1602626/posts
"Pakistan Forces Kill 15 Near Afghan Border - North Waziristan , suspected Taliban sympathizers"
AP on Yahoo ^ | 3/24/06 | Bashirullah Khan - ap
Posted on 03/24/2006 1:30:43 PM PST by NormsRevenge
ARTICLE SNIPPET: "MIRAN SHAH, Pakistan - Pakistani security forces backed by helicopter gunships killed at least 15 suspected Taliban sympathizers Friday in the latest flare-up of violence near the Afghan border, the Pakistani army said.
One soldier also was killed.
The top army spokesman described the continuing bloodshed in the North Waziristan tribal region as "disturbing" and said efforts to control it were costing the Pakistani military "heavily."
"Eighty percent of the people in the area are sitting on the fence and watching for which side buckles, either the government or the militants, and they will go with the winner," Maj. Gen. Shaukat Sultan said.
Friday's clashes occurred near the region's main town, Miran Shah, about 195 miles southwest of the capital, Islamabad."