The Cable News Network, citing senior Pentagon officials, said the attacks were conducted by an AC-130 gunship, operated by the Special Operations Command.

    The plane flew from its base in Djibouti to the southern tip of Somalia, where the al-Qaida suspects were believed to be operating.

AU underlines urgency of deployment of peace support mission in Somalia

    ADDIS ABABA, Jan. 8 (Xinhua) -- The African Union (AU) on Monday underlined the urgency of the deployment of a peace support mission in Somalia in order to build on the current momentum to stabilize the situation.

    It also underlined the need for continued support by the United Nations and its Security Council, as well as by other AU partners, said a statement issued after its Peace and Security Council meeting. Full Story

Somali president enters Mogadishu amid tight security

    NAIROBI, Jan. 8 (Xinhua) -- Somalia's interim President Abdullahi Yusuf arrived in Mogadishu on Monday amid tight security, his very first visit to the capital city since taking office in 2004.

    Somalia's Foreign Minister Ismail Mohamud Hurreh, speaking over phone from Mogadishu, told Xinhua that Yusuf flew in the bullet-infested capital shortly after noon time and kept the visit unannounced for security concerns. Full Story

Ethiopian PM denies U.S. involvement in Ethiopia's counterattacks in Somalia

    ADDIS ABABA, Dec. 28 (Xinhua) -- Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi on Thursday denied U.S. involvement in the country's counterattacks on Somalia's Union of Islamic Courts (UIC).

    "The U.S. hasn't contributed a single bullet, a single soldier or a single military equipment to this operation," Meles told a press conference in Addis Ababa. Full Story

More Related Stories >>>