AFR: Mortar shells fired at US congressman in Somalia
14 Apr 2009 12:05 AM
MOGADISHU, April 13 AFP - US congressman Donald Payne came under mortar fire on Monday as he was leaving in a plane from Mogadishu airport, but no one was injured in the attack, an African Union official says.
"The plane of the congressman was leaving and the mortars started falling. There were no casualties, but the attack was aimed at the congressman. He flew out safely," the AU official told AFP on condition of anonymity.
Payne, congressman from New Jersey and a member of the foreign affairs committee, arrived in Mogadishu hours earlier for talks with President Sharif Sheikh Ahmed and his prime minister on rampant piracy off the country's coast.
His visit came the day after US forces shot dead three of four Somali pirates who had been holding an American captain hostage for five days in the Indian Ocean.
A Somali pirate chief earlier Monday threatened to target Americans in revenge for the rescue of a US captain in a dramatic operation that saw naval snipers kill his captors.
At a press conference earlier, Payne called for broader efforts against piracy off the lawless country's coast and defended Sunday's action that ended the five-day hostage standoff.
"Illegal activities must be dealt with, if you don't deal with criminal behaviour then they will continue," he added.
Somali pirates have taken advantage of good weather to increase their attacks in recent days, despite the presence of an international task force set up to defend vessels in what is one of the world's busiest shipping lanes.
