US sending war ships to Liberian coast
Saturday, 26 July 2003 19:25
At least three people have been killed - and dozens wounded - in a mortar attack on a church in the Liberian capital.
Hundreds of civilians are thought to have died in fighting in Monrovia in the past week.
The latest attack comes after US President, George Bush, ordered a 'limited' number of American troops to take up positions off the coast of the war-torn country.
However, it is not clear if the US troops will actually set foot in Liberia.
The UN Secretary, General Kofi Annan, has welcomed America's decision to deploy three warships to the Liberian coast, where a fierce civil war has been taking place.
Britain has also welcomed the announcement.
There is increasing concern that the civil war could trigger a major a humanitarian crisis.
Rebels in the capital, Monrovia, have announced a new ceasefire, although it was reported within the last hour that six people were killed when a mortar shell crashed into a church housing refugees near the city centre.
Supplies of safe drinking water have run out in most parts of the city, increasing fears that cholera and other illnesses could spread rapidly.
Humanitarian agencies estimate that 200,000 people have been forced from their homes since the beginning of June.
American troops are being sent in to help prepare for the arrival of African peacekeepers.
