BERLIN, April 12, 2006 – A Somali man working with a German-based aid group was shot dead in a gun battle involving bandits in the south of the lawless east African country earlier this week, the organization said on Wednesday.

The man and seven others were caught in crossfire between highway bandits and another vehicle on the road from the capital Mogadishu to the southern city of Kismayu, said Stefan Libisch.

The incident occurred on Monday at around 5.30 p.m. local time, said Libisch, spokesman for Diakonie Katastrophenhilfe in Stuttgart.

Abdulkadir Esse Far'Ade, who was working on a project to clear debris washed up by the Asian tsunami, died at the scene a few minutes after being struck by a stray bullet.

"Of course we deeply regret this incident," Libisch said. "We always try to make sure security is a top priority."

Two other people died in Somalia on Monday when fighting broke out among militia after a United Nations aid convoy was held up at checkpoints.

The victims appeared to be mostly militia members, although a local member of parliament who had tried to negotiate a dismantling of the checkpoints was among the injured, according to the U.N. World Food Programme.

Source: Reuters, April 12, 2006

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