Somalia condemns suicide attacks in capital

Xinhua | Updated: 2009-09-20 11:38

Somalia condemns suicide attacks in capital

Civilians carry the body of a man killed after attacks in Somalia's capital Mogadishu September 17, 2009. [Agencies]

Somali President condemns suicide attacks in Mogadishu

MOGADISHU: Somali President Shiekh Sharif Shiekh Ahmed on Saturday strongly condemned as "terrorist act" Thursday's deadly double suicide attacks on the headquarters of the African Union (AU) peacekeepers in Mogadishu.

The attack claimed by the radical Islamist group of Al-Shabaab, was the deadliest single attack on the peacekeepers, killing 21 people including 17 soldiers and wounding 40 others.

"It was really shocking that suicide bombers attack headquarters of the troops who came to help Somali people," the Somali President told reporters at a news conference at his residence in Mogadishu.

President Ahmed said such acts "represent neither the Somali nor the Islamic culture", saying suicide attacks do not have any precedence in Islam.

"All the Koranic verses enjoin against committing suicide. Therefore, that was an ugly, barbaric and terrorist act. It was an act that is wrong in the Somali and Islamic culture."

Nearly 5,000 African Union peacekeeping forces from Burundi and Uganda are currently stationed in the Somali capital Mogadish, providing protection to senior Somali government officials and main installations in the city including the seaport and airport, the presidential residence and the roads linking them.