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At Least 12 Killed in Mogadishu Fighting

   VOA News 29 January 2010
   A  civilian is brought to Medina hospital in Mogadishu, Somalia, after
   being injured during fighting, 29 Jan 2010

Photo: AP

   A  civilian is brought to Medina hospital in Mogadishu, Somalia, after
   being injured during fighting, 29 Jan 2010

   Fierce   fighting   between   Somali   insurgents  and  African  Union
   peacekeepers  killed at least twelve people on Friday and wounded more
   than 20 others.
   The  head  of  Mogadishu's  ambulance  services said the dead included
   women and children.
   Witnesses say the majority of the casualties are civilians.  Residents
   say it was the worst fighting they have seen in months.
   They say the battle broke out early Friday morning.
   In a statement, the Islamist militant group al-Shabab said it attacked
   government  and  AU  bases.   Both  sides exchanged gunfire and mortar
   shells near a strategic intersection in Somalia's capital, Mogadishu.
   The intersection is known as K4, or Kilometer Four.  It has been under
   peacekeeper  control,  but  has  seen  heavy  attacks  from militants.
   Peacekeepers say controlling K4 is crucial to controlling the city.
   The fighting comes a day after the United Nations voted unanimously to
   extend  the  mandate  of  the  AU peacekeeping mission in the war-torn
   country for another year.
   The AU force in Somalia consists of about 4,000 troops from Uganda and
   Burundi.
   Somalia  has  not had a functioning central government in more than 18
   years.   Fighting  has displaced hundreds of thousands of people, with
   many  fleeing  to  neighboring  countries,  mainly  Kenya,  Yemen  and
   Ethiopia.

   Some information for this report was provided by AFP, AP and Reuters.

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