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Violence in Southern Somalia Kills 11


Wounded civilian at Madina hospital with injuries from roadside blast, Mogadishu, Somalia, Nov, 22, 2011.
Wounded civilian at Madina hospital with injuries from roadside blast, Mogadishu, Somalia, Nov, 22, 2011.

An unidentified fighter jet has bombed a rebel-held town in Somalia, killing one person, while a blast in the capital, Mogadishu, has killed at least 10.

Residents say the warplane struck the al-Shabab-controlled village of Yaqle on Tuesday. The village is located in Somalia's Gedo region near the Kenya border.

Separately Tuesday, a roadside bomb exploded in the Wadajir district of southern Mogadishu. Witnesses say the attack took place on a busy road just north of Mogadishu's airport.

The road is often used by Somali government officials and African Union soldiers.

Somali forces backed by African Union troops forced al-Shabab out of the capital in recent months, but militants remain active in the area.

Kenyan forces entered southern Somalia in October to hunt for al-Shabab, and since then have conducted sporadic airstrikes on militant targets.

Kenya has blamed the Islamist insurgents for a string of kidnappings of foreigners on Kenyan soil.

Earlier this week, witnesses reported seeing Ethiopian troops enter Somalia.

Somali Defense Minister Hussein Araba Issa said the Ethiopian troops will work alongside Somali government forces. However, Ethiopian officials have denied sending troops into Somalia.

Some information for this report was provided by AP, AFP and Reuters.

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