UN concerned over mortar attacks in Mogadishu

UNITED NATIONS - The United Nations on Tuesday voiced concern over renewed mortar attacks in Mogadishu, the capital of Somalia, calling on all the parties involved in the attacks to "cease attacks targeting civilians and humanitarian agencies."

UN deputy spokesman Eduardo del Buey said at a daily news briefing here that the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) has expressed its "concern at the resumption in mortar attacks in Mogadishu, which have claimed at least four lives in recent days."

According to reports from the UNHCR, in the first attack in the Somali capital since August last year, mortars landed in a small settlement for Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) on Monday morning, among the victims were two children.

For his part, UNHCR spokesman Adrian Edwards told reporters in Geneva that "the target of the attack is believed to have been a hostel housing pro-government forces in the nearby Villa Somalia compound, the presidential palace. But the mortars did not reach their target and instead landed among the IDPs."

The UN Refugee Agency has called for all parties involved in the Somali attacks to "cease attacks targeting civilians and humanitarian agencies," said del Buey.

In Mogadishu, militants launched mortars at the Somali presidential palace for a second night running, drawing retaliatory fire from African Union peacekeepers, reports said.

Insurgents said on Monday that they would keep hitting the presidential compound, which also houses key government ministries, with mortars and suicide bombings, said the reports.