U.S. Copters Attack Somali Arms Depot : Africa: U.N. steps up effort to weaken warlord Aidid after the shooting of eight more soldiers.

Missiles fired from American helicopters Wednesday blew up another arms depot and staging compound serving Somali warlord Mohammed Farah Aidid as U.N. forces intensified their efforts to disarm him after the shooting of eight more U.N. soldiers this week.

The Pentagon said the attack, which began at 3 p.m., was designed to destroy the compound. It was identified as a staging area for the fatal attacks on two Pakistani soldiers and the wounding of six other U.N. troops Sunday and Monday and contained mortars, machine guns, ammunition and communications and engineering equipment.

Eleven hours earlier, soldiers from the U.S. Army quick-reaction force in the Somali capital cordoned off and searched buildings, compounds and refugee camps north of the airport, confiscated some weapons and communications equipment and arrested two Somalis.

U.S. officials said the purpose of the highly visible operation was to underscore U.N. resolve to punish challenges by local militia units and to eliminate the compound as a military threat before Somali independence celebrations set for today.

Some Somalis have feared that Aidid’s supporters would spark new violence during the celebrations. The former Somali general has been accusing the United Nations and the United States of trying to “recolonize” the country.

U.S. Army Maj. David Stockwell, the U.N. military spokesman in Mogadishu, told reporters at a press conference Wednesday that the operation “at this point appears to be a success.” He said no injuries were reported, either to U.N. troops or to Somali civilians.

Meanwhile, the Pentagon said Wednesday that it is providing 60 U.S. M-113A3 armored personnel carriers for U.N. use in Somalia--the largest single sale of U.S. military equipment to the world organization. The first 12 vehicles will be flown to the country today.

U.N. commanders also have asked for tanks and riot-control gear for badly equipped Pakistani and Moroccan troops.

The latest foray by U.N. forces represented an effort by the U.N. command to step up its campaign to weaken Aidid’s militia. Ultimately, the hope is to persuade members of his political faction to abandon him and join in building a new democracy in the war-racked country.

Aidid, whose home and headquarters were destroyed last month in a raid in retaliation for a June 5 ambush that caused the deaths of 24 Pakistani U.N. soldiers, remained at large, despite a U.N. order issued two weeks ago for his arrest and detention.

Western diplomats said U.N. authorities have been tracking Aidid’s movements among safehouses in Mogadishu but have not arrested him because of fear that doing so might spark a shootout that could injure Somali civilians.

Authorities said a team of U.N. lawyers is in Mogadishu now researching the legal ramifications of various proposals for dealing with Aidid once he is in custody.

Also unclear is how the U.N. command plans to strengthen its 18,541-person military force in Somalia over the next several weeks in the wake of Aidid’s uprising--and the resulting U.S. and allied retaliation--in June.

Although the United States sent four AC-130H Spectre gunships and four AH-1F Cobra attack helicopters to carry out last month’s attacks, officials said that U.S. officials are unwilling to keep them there indefinitely and are “re-evaluating” the assignment.

Washington also is expected to redeploy the 2,200 Marines who have been poised on ships off Somalia for the last two weeks.