MOGADISHU, Somalia
Fifteen civilians, including at least one child, were killed when African Union (AU) peacekeepers fired haphazardly into a crowd – after their convoy reportedly struck a landmine
– in the town of Merka in southern Somalia, according to eyewitnesses.
“AMISOM [African Union Mission in Somalia] peacekeepers massacred civilians and children after their convoy struck a landmine,” Mahmud Asbeli, a local eyewitness, told Anadolu Agency.
“They fired randomly in all directions before entering a nearby residential area where they opened fire on several civilians, including a Quran teacher and his students,” Asbeli said.
Eyewitnesses expected the death toll to mount further due to the high number of serious injuries sustained in the incident.
Anadolu Agency could not, however, independently verify the eyewitnesses’ accounts.
Some 22,000 AMISOM peacekeepers – including contingents from Uganda, Ethiopia and Kenya – are currently deployed in Somalia to fight the Al-Shabaab militant group.
