Fighting Starts in Mogadishu, Somalia

Published on Saturday 17th April 2010

Heavy fighting between the African Union troops AMISOM with government troops and Islamist forces has started in Mogadishu early on Friday morning.

Locals told Shabelle radio that the war broke out at parts of Mekka Al-mukara Street which connects between Aden Adde international airport and presidential palace in the capital as the Islamist fighters attacked military bases of AMISOM troops around Shaqalaha building in the area saying that the clashes continued for a while.

There are no casualties reported so far residents said that there was no movement on Mekka Al-mukarama, an important and useful street as both broth were using heavy weapon.

We had contacted with both rivals sides to know more about the war, but we did not achieve to get them through the telephone and there is no group claimed the responsibility of the fighting.

The fighting seems to be following a string of clashes that happens in the capital and between the transitional government with AMISOM and the Islamist fighters against the western backed transitional government of Somalia.