By Aweys Osman Yusuf

Mogadishu, 8 March, 2007 - More than 25 persons, including government soldiers, who were wounded by the skirmishes in the capital, were admitted to Median Hospital in Mogadishu in the past 24 hours.

Dr. Sheik Doon Salad Elmi, the general director of Median Hospital, told Shabelle journalists who visited the hospital that most patients were hurt in last night's gun battle between Somalia's insurgents and Ugandan peacekeepers, patrolling Mogadishu's most hostile area (KM4 Junction) for the foreign troops.

"Three of the wounded people who were admitted to the hospital last night died from their wounds a short while after they were admitted to the hospital's ER," he said.

He said two government soldiers were among the wounded. "The number of patients continuously admitted to the hospital in fact is more than the hospital can bear," he said.

Paddy Ankunda, the spokesman for the African Union mission in Somalia, has told Shabelle in an interview that two Ugandan soldiers were injured during the gun battle.

The Ugandans were on their way to Global hotel in north of Mogadishu where some government officials are based when the incident occurred.

Attacks on the UPDF convoy in the capital came as Somalia's unknown insurgents vowed they will launch suicide bombings on the Ugandan troops.

At least 14 civilians were killed and nearly 20 were seriously wounded last night after unknown gunmen and Ugandan troops clashed at KM4 Junction near Mogadishu international airport.

Source: Shabelle Media Network