TNG officials attacked in Mogadishu

Three senior officials of the Transitional National Government (TNG) were attacked in separate incidents towards the end of last week, a local source told IRIN on Monday. The attacks were unrelated and had no political overtones, the TNG director of information, Abdirahman Dinari, said. The deputy livestock minister, Salim Aliyow Ibrow, was attacked in the evening of 19 October near Afisyone (former air force base) in south Mogadishu. "It was an attempted car-jacking, but was foiled by the minister's guards," said Dinari. According to Dinari, Aliyow escaped the attack unharmed. The other two attacks happened on 20 October in different parts of the city. In the first, a convoy carrying the commander of the TNG's infantry forces, Gen Usman Shaykh Ali Badma'eye" was attacked near the former Green Line between north and south Mogadishu. It was reportedly carried out by freelance bandits known to operate in the area, a source in Mogadishu told IRIN. The general was slightly wounded, and his driver seriously so. The guard detail was able to repulse the attackers, Dinari said. In the second attack, the deputy chief-of-staff of the TNG armed forces, Gen Muhammad Abdi's security escort fired at another vehicle, believing it was targeted. "A passing car accidentally discharged a gun, and the general's escort thought they were under attack and responded accordingly," Dinari said. One person was killed in that incident, he said. Dinari said that unfortunately these things did happen in Mogadishu from time to time. "The fact they involved TNG officials is a coincidence," he said.