20100403
ALALAM

Clashes between militants and government troops in the Somali capital Mogadishu have killed at least 20 civilians, witnesses and medical sources said.

Both sides exchanged artillery fire during the fighting, which broke out Friday in the south and the north of the city.

Twenty civilians including children were killed in the clashes, which ended in the evening, Ali Muse, head of Mogadishu ambulance services said.

"The ambulances also collected 26 others who were injured," he added.

"Seven of them died in northern Mogadishu while the other four died in Bakara," the city's biggest market, which is in the south.

"A mortar struck a house in Manbolyon neighbourhood killing six family members," Jumale said.

"It was (a) terrible incident and everybody was shocked."

In another significant development, members of the moderate Sufi Ahlusuna sect said they had fought alongside government troops.

Their fighters had given "unforgettable lessons to the enemy who characterized to harm our society," Nur Sheik Ali, spokesman for the group said.

Although the group has previously fought the Shebab militia in the central Galgudud region, if confirmed, this would be the first time they had cooperated directly with government forces.