MOGADISHU: US Army Rangers captured a top aide of fugitive warlord

Mohamed Farah Aideed yesterday in what the UN termed a ''significant

milestone'' in its operations. In the UN's most successful raid against

Aideed's guerrilla network to date, 50 US Army Rangers snatched Aideed's

main financial backer, Osman Hassan Ali ''Atto'', by sliding down ropes

from Blackhawk helicopters into Aideed's bombed-out old militia

headquarters. Hours earlier, three Pakistani peacemakers burned to death

when Somalis blew up their armoured vehicle in a dawn battle in

Mogadishu.