Child deaths in crossfire increasing, says UNICEF

NAIROBI (AP):

An increasing number of children are being caught in attacks and crossfire across south and central Somalia, the United Nation's children agency said yesterday, as a landmine targeting police exploded at the world's largest refugee camp in neighbouring Kenya, wounding two people.

UNICEF said that 24 children were killed in conflict in Somalia in October, nearly double the confirmed child killings of every other month this year. UNICEF said 58 children were also confirmed to have been injured in October, the highest number this year.

UNICEF's representative to Somalia, Sikander Khan, said the true numbers are likely to be even higher.

"Somali children's lives are being put more and more in grave danger with the increasing conflict. In accordance with international law, we call on all parties to the conflict in Somalia to stop all killing, maiming, recruitment for armed services and rape of children," Khan said.

Kenyan troops moved into Somalia to fight al-Shabab militants in mid-October, but a UNICEF spokesman, Jaya Murthy, said UNICEF is not attributing the increased violence to a particular group.The al-Qaida-linked al-Shabab militants claimed responsibility for a suicide bombing in Mogadishu last month that killed more than 100 people.