Heavy fighting broke out between Somali government forces and Islamist insurgents in Mogadishu early on Wednesday, officials and witnesses said. The government, which has been planning a large offensive against its foes, said the radical al-Shabaab fighters attacked their position in the north of the capital at dawn, sparking the fierce gun battles.
No casualties were reported in the clashes, which witnesses said involved the use of heavy machine guns, anti-aircraft weapons and artillery fire. "The al-Shabaab militants attacked our forces at the northern frontline of Abdulaziz this morning [Wednesday] with heavy artillery and machine guns," Somali government security official Abdi Mohamed told Agence France-Presse. "The fighting is still going on and we have no information about the casualties so far," he added. "The fighting started sporadically with artillery early morning but later intensified with both sides reinforcing their positions," said Maryan Ali, a resident in north Mogadishu. "It is very heavy fighting and I have seen many al-Shabaab fighters taking positions. There are very few families left around the Abdulaziz neighbourhood now and it looks they will start fleeing once they get chance to leave ..."
Belligerent factions in Mogadishu have been locked in a tense stand-off for weeks, amid expectations of an offensive by the government and its African Union backers to wrest the country back from the insurgency.
Source: Mail & Guardian
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