America Strikes At Al Qaeda Suspects In Somalia

The US has launched a bombardment at Al Qaeda suspects that are fleeing with elements of the union of Islamic Courts. The UIC was the last government that controlled Mogadishu and most of Somalia up till the end of December 2006. The Americans have always insisted that the UIC has been shielding Al Qaeda operatives including suspects wanted for the bombing of the U.S. embassies in Kenya and Tanzania in 1998. The double attack on these embassies took the lives of more than 250 people.

The Somali Transitional Federal Government flushed the UIC out of the Somali capital, Mogadishu with the help of the Ethiopian army. The fleeing UIC elements moved to the Southern city of Kismayo before abandoning the city to head towards the Kenyan border. The Kenyan government reacted by sealing her own side of the border with Somalia- effectively preventing most of them from crossing into Kenya.

Meanwhile, American warships in the Indian Ocean moved closer to the Somali border to monitor and prevent the UIC members and their Al Qaeda allies from fleeing by sea. During the course of this week, Yemen had confirmed that some leaders of the UIC were given refuge on her territory after apparently succeeding to escape from Somalia.

Major U.S news networks like CNN, NBC and CBS reported the attack citing Pentagon sources. The BBC on Tuesday morning said that villagers in the region confirm that two people were killed in the attack. There has been no word yet about casualties from the U.S government. Neither has the Pentagon confirmed if they effectively hit their intended targets.

Among the alleged targets was a senior Al Qaeda operative in East Africa and a suspect of the embassy bombings.

 Satellites were used to monitor the movement of the suspects and AC-130 aircraft were reportedly used in the operations.