Mogadishu Radio HornAfrik (in Somali)

The spokesman of Union of Islamic Courts [UIC] fighters, Abdirahim Ise Adow, gave details about the attack against Ethiopian troops in Leego locality of Lower Shabeelle Region [southern Somalia]. Abdiqasim Ma’alin Ahmad has the details:

[Ahmad] UIC gave details of yesterday morning’s attack in Leego. Abdirahim Ise Adow, the UIC operational spokesman said that they gained, as he put it, a remarkable victory in yesterday’s attack in Leego. He said that they suffered no casualties.

The spokesman said the reason of targeting Ethiopian troops in areas outside Mogadishu was to minimize civilian casualties. He added that they were not aware of any civilian casualties in yesterday’s fighting, except some government soldiers killed by Ethiopian troops in the area.

[Adow] As far as we know, there are no civilian casualties. What we know is that three puppet soldiers who were working with the enemies have been killed in a checkpoint near the area. In fact, this proves that enemy forces regard every Somali as their enemy.

In fact, our objectives of carrying out operations outside Mogadishu, which God made us to understand, is to minimize civilian casualties in urban areas, and to increase the enemy casualties. And God has made us understand that. In fact, this is part of operations aimed at cutting off the enemies from their reinforcements.

As you are aware, they cannot transport food and water in Mogadishu, and they are using wheelbarrows and other things. God willing, we will continue with these operations.

[Ahmad] While responding to a question about whether they accept the ongoing talks in Djibouti, he said that they were soldiers, and they accept the directives of their officials.

[Adow] In fact we are soldiers, and senior officials of UIC are responsible of political policy and reconciliation programme on our behalf. They are the officials of the alliance, and we leave this matter to them. We accept and obey by God’s will anything they see it as beneficial to the people and that is based on Islamic shari’ah. And by God’s will, we will continue with the struggle and Jihad against the enemy, because we are resistant, and our civilians have been attacked, our clerics have been massacred in mosques, our daughters have been raped, and our people are held in Mogadishu prisons and others taken to prisons in Addis Ababa.

Therefore, we are defending ourselves. We are people who have been oppressed, attacked and their rights violated. By God’s will, we will continue with the struggle and Jihad against the enemy until we liberate the last occupied area of our country.