A joint U.S.-Belgian force raided a camp in southern Somalia and captured nine people suspected of attacking a village the day before, the U.S. military said Monday.
The raid occurred near Kismayo, a port about 240 miles south of Mogadishu. Fighting between rival factions in that region scuttled preliminary peace talks last month following a cease-fire agreed to by Somalia's main warlords.A meeting of the cease-fire monitoring committee created under the truce was scheduled for Monday. A previous meeting by a different committee failed to take place because of last month's clashes in the south.
One person died and another was injured in the attack Saturday on the village near El Ad, northwest of Kismayo, according to the U.S. military information bureau. Villagers captured one attacker and turned him over to Belgian soldiers patrolling the area, it said.
On Sunday, the joint U.S.-Belgian force raided the attackers' camp north of El Ad, capturing nine people, some weapons and supplies, it said.
It said the captured men were presumed to support Mohamed Said Hirsi, known as Gen. Morgan, the son-in-law of ousted dictator Mohammed Siad Barre. Morgan continued fighting in Somalia after Siad Barre fled.
After the clashes last month between Morgan's forces and those of rival Col. Omar Jess, American and Belgian troops stepped up helicopter gunship patrols to halt the fighting.