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Foreigners abducted in Mogadishu French advisers seized in Somalia
(about 6 hours later)
Two Europeans, believed to be French, have been kidnapped from a hotel in Somalia's capital Mogadishu. Two French security advisers helping the Somali government have been kidnapped in the capital Mogadishu, French officials have said.
About 10 gunmen disguised as government security forces snatched the men from a hotel in the south of the city. Gunmen who were wearing police uniforms entered the hotel where the two were staying and took them away, eyewitnesses said.
It is not clear who the men are. Some reports say they are journalists and other accounts claim they are security consultants. The abductions took place in a government-held part of Mogadishu.
Islamist rebels are battling troops from the UN-backed interim government for control of Mogadishu. Islamist rebels are battling troops from the UN-backed interim government for control of the city.
The abductions took place at the Sahafi Hotel in a part of the Somali capital controlled by pro-government forces.
Rebels repelledRebels repelled
Gunmen wearing Somali police uniforms turned up at the guest house, seized the two men and took them in a vehicle towards a part of the city run by insurgents, said witnesses. The French foreign ministry said the two advisers were in Mogadishu on an official mission to provide help to the government.
"Two foreigners have been kidnapped this morning by a large group of gunmen," Somali police spokesman Mohamed Ali told the AFP news agency. They were seized at the Sahafi Hotel, which has often accommodated foreign journalists and Somali government ministers.
Hotel workers told the BBC Somali service that the two men had checked in to the hotel as French journalists. Hotel workers told BBC Somali that the two had checked in as journalists. A Somali official later told Reuters news agency they had done so for their own protection.
The Sahafi Hotel has often accommodated foreign journalists and Somali government ministers.
But a government official later told Reuters the Frenchmen had posed as journalists for their own protection.
"They were security consultants who arrived in Somalia to train state house security guards, not journalists," the official said.
The kidnappings come two days after government troops forced Islamist militants from positions around the presidential palace.The kidnappings come two days after government troops forced Islamist militants from positions around the presidential palace.
Some of the 4,300 African Union peacekeepers in Mogadishu helped push back the insurgents.Some of the 4,300 African Union peacekeepers in Mogadishu helped push back the insurgents.
The radical rebel group al-Shabab and its allies have been trying to topple the fragile interim government, led by moderate Islamist President Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed.The radical rebel group al-Shabab and its allies have been trying to topple the fragile interim government, led by moderate Islamist President Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed.