​Somalia: AMISOM mortar shelling kills five civilians

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JANALE, Somalia - A Somali official says five people died in an AMISOM indiscriminate mortar bombardment on civilians area near Janaale town in Lower Shabelle region on Tuesday night,  Garowe Online reports.

The African Union forces at Bufow base have fired several mortar rounds on Franko village, about 2 km east of Janaale town, in response to an Al Shabaab attack, according to Shalanbod area administrator Nur Osman Rageh.

"A mortar shell fired from AMISOM's Bufow military base struck a house in Franko area, and killed five people from the same family, a mom, and her four children," said Shalanbod area administrator.

Franko area lies just about 2 kilometers east of Janaale, which is under the control of Al Shabaab, a Somali-based militant group linked with Al Qaeda.

African Union mission in Somalia (AMISOM) forces are being accused of indiscriminate shelling on residential areas between Janaale and Marko towns in Lower Shabelle region of southern Somalia.

The African Union officials did not comment on the mortar bombing on Franko area and  civilian deaths which has triggered an outrage by local residents.   

GAROWEONLINE

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