22 August 2009

Mogadishu — Heavy fighting between government soldiers and Islamist forces has broken out in around Ex-control Afgoi checkpoint in the south of the Somali capital Mogadishu, witnesses and officials told Shabelle radio on Saturday.

Reports said that fighting started early on Saturday morning at Ex-control intersection, a government soldiers' strategic checkpoint in the main street that connects Mogadishu and Afgoi town in Lower Shabellle region where both sides exchanged heavy weapons during the fighting.

Sheik Yusuf Mohamed Siad known as (Inda Adde), the minister of state of the TFG, told Shabelle radio that they had the upper hand of Saturday's clashes in Mogadishu adding that they killed several fighters in the fighting.

There is no comment from the Islamist forces about the fighting so far.

The movement of the traffic was halted due to the heavy clashes between the Islamist forces and Government soldiers continued there for a while.

Residents told Shabelle radio that the more shelling from the area of the fighting landed in the other areas of the capital expressing concern about the fresh fighting.

It is unclear the real casualties of the fighting and reports from the warring area say that the situation is calm now.

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