22 Aug 2009
At least 24 people have been killed and dozens injured in heavy fighting between Somali militants and African Union peacekeeping forces in the capital Mogadishu.

Residents said heavily armed militants carried out pre-dawn attacks on African Union peacekeeping forces (AU) and Somali troop bases in central Mogadishu, leading to heavy mortar shelling and gunfire that continued throughout Friday, a Press TV correspondent reported.

Mogadishu residents stayed in their homes as mortars slammed into the seaside capital and splintered the sprawling Bakara Market, where traders were setting up their goods for the day.

Sheikh Ali Mohamud Rage, a Spokesman for the Somali insurgent group al-Shabaab, said his group carried out the attacks as revenge for a Thursday offensive on their strongholds.

"It's them (government side) who started the fighting. They attacked us on our bases and we attacked them on their bases. It's a fair play," he told reporters in Mogadishu.

Dunia Ali Mohamed, an official of Mogadishu's Medina Hospital reported that the hospital received more than 20 wounded people on Friday with more coming in.

The fighting comes a day after nearly 60 people were killed in different parts of the war-torn nation.

Forces loyal to the country's fragile UN-backed transition government have stepped up efforts to seize control of the rebel-held districts in the capital and other regions in the Horn of Africa nation.

presstv