At least 15 killed in Somalia after weapon smuggling from EthiopiaMOGADISHU, Somalia - At least 15 people were killed in Somalia on Tuesday following armed clashes between members of the Somali National Army (SNA) and militia, who had seized weapons from traders suspected to be involved in weapon smuggling from Ethiopia. The government soldiers and local militia opened fire against each other as they fought for two truckloads of weapons that had been smuggled from neighboring Ethiopia. Last year, the United Nations Security Council fully lifted a weapons embargo on Somalia, which had been in place since 1992. Upon inquiry by the VOA, an Ethiopian foreign ministry spokesperson did not immediately respond to a VOA request for comment. Close to 4,000 Ethiopian soldiers are serving under the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia.

Source: Ethiopian News July 17, 2024 09:51 UTC