Somali Youths Attack Italian Peacekeepers

Angry Somali youths hurled stones and fired grenades at Italian U.N. peacekeepers Monday one day after Somali militias gunned down seven Nigerian U.N. troops.

U.N. military officials said Italian troops shot and killed two Somalis early Monday near the ambush, blamed on fugitive warlord Mohammed Farah Aidid.

In Aidid’s stronghold of south Mogadishu, Somalis threw up burning street barricades and demonstrated against the United Nations.

Somalis claim that 30 of their own were killed Sunday.

On Monday, the Italians were stoned at a checkpoint in the north of the city, which is under the control of the Abgal, an enemy clan of Aidid’s that usually welcomes the 28-nation U.N. force.

Two grenades were fired at the Italians but did not explode.

Also Monday, Italy agreed to delay its pullout from Mogadishu and replaced its controversial commander in Somalia.

The ambush Sunday sharpened Rome’s rift with Washington over how to keep peace in Somalia. The United States backs tougher action to capture Aidid; Italy wants talks with Aidid’s supporters.

The last few hundred Italian troops, part of a 2,400-member Italian contingent in Somalia, were to be out of Mogadishu by today and moving into the countryside but will stay “for an indefinite time” following a U.N. request, an army spokesman said.

Italian Defense Minister Fabio Fabbri said U.N. Secretary General Boutros Boutros-Ghali made “a personal appeal” for the Italians to delay their pullout to the Somali interior.

In a statement to the news media, Fabbri denied that the Italian troops had failed during Sunday’s ambush to help the Nigerians, who were killed as they went to help other U.N. peacekeepers surrounded by a mob.

An unidentified U.S. diplomat was also shot in the chest Sunday, and a Nigerian soldier was captured. The diplomat was listed in fair to good condition.

Efforts to secure the release of the Nigerian were going ahead, U.N. military officials said.