https://wikileaks.org/plusd/cables/1977MOGADI02230_c.html
- THE SOMALI NATIONAL NEWS AGENCY (SONNA) CARRIED A DEFENSE
MINISTRY COMMUNIQUE REPORTING THAT ETHIOPIAN AIRCRAFT ATTACKED
HARGESIA AND BERBERA AT 1405 LOCAL TIME, DECEMBER 27. THE
SONNA REPORT SAID FOUR FIGHTER PLANES ATTACKED HARGESIA WHILE
AN ADDITIONAL FOUR ATTACKED BERBERA. THE REPORT ADDED THAT
THREE OF THE ATTACKING AIRCRAFT, WHICH INCLUDED BOTH MIG-21
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AND F-5 FIGHTER PLANES WERE SHOT DOWN, TWO OVER HARGESIA AND
ONE OVER BERBERA.
- THE EMBASSY UNDERSTANDS THAT THE ETHIOPIANS ACTUALLY
LOST THREE AIRCRAFT IN YESTERDAY’S RAIDS. THE EGYPTIAN
MILITARY ATTACHE WHO SPENT MUCH OF THE DAY AT THE SOMALI
DEFENSE MINISTRY TOLD THE DCM LAST NIGHT THAT EARLIER
SOMALI CLAIMS OF THREE PLANES DESTROYED IN THE DEC 9
ATTACK ON HARGESIA WERE FRAUDULENT. IN THE FORMER ATTACK,
HOWEVER, THE ETHIOPIANS DID DESTROY A MAJOR RADAR,
DESCRIBED TO US AS A B-37 WHICH WE WERE UNABLE TO FIND
IN JANE’S, AND A 37MM ANTI-AIRCRAFT GUN AND THREE MAN
CREW AT THE EDGE OF THE HARGESIA AIRPORT. (EMBASSY HAD
A SIMILAR REPORT ON THE GUN AND CREW SOURCED TO A SOMALI
MILITARY PILOT.) ACCORDING TO THE EGYPTIAN, THE
SOMALIS DO NOT KEEP ANY FIRST LINE FIGHTER AIRCRAFT ON
THE STRIP AT HARGESIA, BUT HAVE DRAWN THEM BACK TO
BERBERA. THERE WAS LIMITED CIVILIAN DAMAGE DURING THE
DEC 9 ATTACK ON HARGESIA. THE EMBASSY HAS NO DETAILS
REGARDING DAMAGES INCURRED IN THE DEC 27 ATTACK, ALTHOUGH
SONNA CLAIMS CIVILIANS WERE KILLED AND WOUNDED IN EACH
TOWN.
- COMMENT: THE ATTACK ON THE PORT OF BERBERA WAS THE FIRST
ANNOUNCED AIR ACTION AGAINST THAT CITY. THE ETHIOPIAN
CAPABILITY TO HIT BERBERA MAY EXPLAIN WHY A RECENT
EGYPTIAN AIR SUPPLY MISSION (SEPTEL) UNLOADED AT MOG-
ADISCIO INSTEAD OF USING BERBERA OR HARGESIA WHICH ARE
MUCH CLOSER TO THE MAIN MILITARY FRONT.
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