15 die in Liberia bomb attacks

Shelling has hit a church crowded with refugees near Monrovia's embattled port, killing at least 15 civilians taking shelter inside, including whole families.

It was the second fatal shelling in two days of buildings packed with refugees in Liberia's capital, under siege by rebels in a now week-old offensive.

The Greater Refuge Church, sitting on a hill overlooking Monrovia's rebel-held port and heavily contested bridges leading from it, has taken in hundreds of refugees from outside the capital since June.

Witnesses said five shells slammed into the ground around the church about 4 a.m. A sixth hit the church building directly, exploding among the refugees bedded down for the night.

Neighbors, contacted by telephone, counted 15 bodies laid out in front of the church, surrounded by wailing survivors. Dead included a husband, wife and children of at least one entire family.

Hospital workers said they still were taking in numbers of wounded from the barrage, and could provide no immediate tally.

"People are still crying. Rockets have been falling all around us," said Kate Wright, a neighbour of the church reached by telephone.

A mortar round exploded around her as she talked, and Wright said she could hear gunfire still from battles at the bridges. Wright said the mortar rounds were coming from the rebel-held port.

Refugees prepared to move the dead down from the hill, to where others were digging a mass grave.

Rebels have waged a two-month battle to take Monrovia and drive out President Charles Taylor, a former warlord behind 14 years of near perpetual conflict in this West African country. Fighting has focused on the port and three bridges leading to downtown, one of Taylor's last strongholds. Both sides have blamed the other for repeated shelling into densely populated civilian neighbourhoods.

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