Somalia
Man in Somalia targeted for bringing water to Ethiopia army
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Jul 29, 2007 - 5:36:01 PM

BELETWEIN, Somalia July 29 (Garowe Online) - A vehicle intending to transport water to an Ethiopian military base in the outskirts of Beletwein, central Somalia, was targeted Sunday morning by unknown gunmen who used grenades, the driver said.

Ethiopian troops serving in Somalia since last year

No one was hurt or wounded in the explosion but the windows of the water truck shattered.

The driver, Abdullahi Dheere, told Garowe Online that the attackers hid under the bridge.

"They threw the grenades seconds after we passed the [over] bridge," said Abdullahi, who went on to describe how he and a passenger jumped from the truck.

He said he normally delivers water to Ethiopian soldiers at a camp several kilometers from Beletwein, capital of Hiran region.

Ethiopian soldiers used to travel to Beletwein to get their own water but commanders decided that the soldiers stay inside the base after an attack last month.

Beletwein police officials said they had detained 15 suspects in the subsequent investigation.

Ahmed Gobay, mayor of Beletwein, blamed the attack on "anti-peace groups" in the town and across Somalia. He pledged to take strong action against such attackers.

The Ethiopian army deployed in southern Somalia late last year to overthrow an Islamist government in Mogadishu. The Ethiopians, and their Somali government allies, have been targeted by Islamist-linked insurgents since, especially in Mogadishu.

Source: Garowe Online