Italy Unable to Rescue Foreigners Trapped in Somalia

Heavy fighting on Friday again stalled efforts to rescue foreigners trapped in Somalia’s capital, where the first foreign casualties were reported during battles outside the Italian Embassy.

Italy, a former colonial ruler of Somalia, said that it would close its diplomatic mission in Mogadishu, the capital, as soon as foreigners taking shelter there could be evacuated.

In 13 days of fighting between the rebels and government forces, more than 1,500 people have been killed and thousands of others wounded, according to the rebel United Somali Congress. The rebels say that cholera and typhoid spread by decomposing bodies are widespread in the capital.

Friday’s fighting forced two Italian military planes sent to rescue 50 Italians and about 40 others trapped in the embassy to return empty to the Kenyan coastal city of Mombasa.

There was a report that one foreigner, believed to be Korean, was killed in the Italian Embassy during fighting Thursday night. An Italian Foreign Ministry spokesman in Rome said that “apparently the casualty did occur within the embassy compound.”

The spokesman, Alessandro di Franco, said some Italians also were wounded in the fighting, but he had no details on the number of casualties or the extent of the injuries. He said also that there was an explosion at the embassy while it was under fire, but he had no further details.

Communication with Mogadishu, mostly by radiophone to the Italian Embassy, has been sporadic since the fighting began on Dec. 30 between government troops and rebels trying to overthrow President Mohamed Siad Barre.