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More than 20 civilians have been killed in a second day of intense fighting between Somali government troops and opposition forces in the capital Mogadishu.
The deaths occurred after government troops backed by African Union forces raided a position held by armed opposition in the north of the war-torn capital.
Ali Muse, head of Mogadishu ambulance services told AFP: “The civilian casualty [toll] is very high today. We counted more than 20 civilians who were killed this morning alone.
"The medical staff collected around 83 civilians who were injured in the crossfire and the mortars and artillery shells."
Winning claim
Somali government security official Mohamed Nur said their forces “overran the rebels' base” in the same neighborhood as the al-Shabab fighters attacked them on Wednesday.
At least 23 civilians were killed in Wednesday's clashes.
Government forces have been planning a wide offensive to dislodge the opposition fighters from Mogadishu, where the opposition fighters have confined the Western-backed government of President Sharif Sheikh Ahmed to just a handful of zones.
Residents reported seeing AU tanks moving into their neighborhood.
The AU-backed government forces and the al-Shabab fighters have been locked in a tense stand-off since the government announced plans in January to dislodge the fighters from Mogadishu.
Returning home
In January, Mogadishu residents started fleeing ahead of the planned government offensive but the assault never came and some civilians have started returning to the capital.
Since taking control of much of Mogadishu after bloody clashes last year, the fighters have repeatedly carried out many attacks against the foreign and government troops, inflicting heavy casualties.
Civilians have borne the worst brunt of the relentless fighting, many of them caught in crossfire or killed by mortar shells fired in retaliation to attacks by the opposition who operate in residential areas.
Al-Shebab, who control 80 per cent of south and central Somalia, vowed to topple the internationally-backed government, which owes its survival to the African Union forces.
Somalia has been wracked by two decades of bloody violence sparked by the ouster of President Mohamed Siad Barre.
PHOTO CAPTION
African Union peacekeeper's tanks are seen during clashes between Somali government and opposition fighters in northern Mogadishu, Somalia, Thursday March 11, 2010.
Agencies
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