23/11/2007 - Nearly two weeks after four mortar shells hit the SOS Children's Village Mogadishu, the project has been hit once again, this time by 13 mortar shells, five in the children's village, two on staff houses and six in the hospital compound.
As Ethiopian troops carried out operations near to the SOS Children's Village Mogadishu yesterday afternoon, heavy machine gun fire was heard at about 4.00 pm. All the children, youth and mothers fled to the specially prepared bunker in the village designed to protect them from this sort of attack. Between 4.15 and 5.30 pm. the project was hit by 13 mortar shells, five of them in the village, two on staff houses in the school compound and six in the SOS Hospital compound. Five SOS co-workers have been injured - a driver, a technician and three security guards and all have been admitted to the SOS Hospital under the care of SOS medical staff. Two project vehicles were also badly damaged. The situation is now calm and the children, mothers and youth remain in hiding.
SOS Children's Villages co-workers are closely monitoring the situation in Mogadishu and will take all necessary action to protect the children, mothers, youth and staff.
[ Any views expressed in this article are those of the writer and not of Reuters. ]
