Hundreds of residents of a remote town in southern Somalia staged an anti-American demonstration on Tuesday after the United States launched an air strike.

The town of Dobley was hit by two missiles on Monday in the fourth U.S. strike in 14 months against Somalia, where Washington says local Islamists are “sheltering wanted al Qaeda leaders”.

Demonstrators in the small town on the Somali-Kenyan border said 600 people took part.

"We don't want the Americans because they are against our religion and culture. Down with America," shouted Mohamed Deq, one of the protesters.

District commissioner Ali Hussein Nur told Reuters by telephone "Since the American government admitted bombing our town, where people and livestock were killed and properties damaged, it must pay compensation."

The exact toll from Monday's attack was unclear. Nur said on Monday that six people were killed, but a local resident, Fatuma Omar, said on Tuesday that only four were wounded.

Residents of Dobley said they believed the missiles were targeting senior Islamist leaders meeting nearby.

The World Food Program withdrew four of its aid workers and three from the World Vision charity from Buale in southern Somalia because of recent security incidents, a WFP spokesman said.

PHOTO CAPTION

Map of Somalia locating the town of Dobley

Reuters