200 civilians and wounded 400 in August

[Hiiraan boy]

MOGADISHU, Somalia (AP) - An increasingly violent insurgency in Somalia's capital killed 200 civilians and wounded 400 last month, a local human rights group said Sunday.

The death toll makes August the bloodiest month in Somalia since April, when a surge in violence that started in March raged in the already beleaguered city.

Sudan Ali Ahmed, chairman of Elman Human Rights, an independent Somali group, said his organization collected the figures from hospitals, residents and its own recording of burials in Mogadishu.

A fundamentalist Islamic group with ties to al-Qaida ruled the capital and much of southern Somalia for six months last year, but they were driven out in December when Ethiopia - the region's military powerhouse - invaded with the backing of the United States.

The Islamic militia has since launched an Iraq-style insurgency, with near-daily roadside bombs, landmines and grenade attacks.

The attacks generally target troops of the Somali government put in power by Ethiopia, or Ethiopian troops themselves.

"When gunmen or insurgent groups carry out grenade attacks against government and Ethiopian troops, they respond with gunfire and victims are always civilians," Ahmed said.

Somalia has been ravaged by violence and anarchy since warlords overthrew dictator Mohamed Siad Barre in 1991, then turned on each other.

[MJ-Pride]

Most of this damage is done by the so called freedome fighters. They are hurting their people more than they hurting the enemy.

[*Arabman]

["When gunmen or insurgent groups carry out grenade attacks against government and Ethiopian troops, they respond with gunfire and victims are always civilians," Ahmed said.]

Ahmed told the truth.