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Mogadishu engulfed by more mayhem Mogadishu mired in fresh mayhem
(about 2 hours later)
Heavy clashes have resumed in Somalia's capital as some of the fiercest clashes in months show no sign of abating. Islamist fighters in Somalia's capital, Mogadishu, have advanced to the edge of the presidential palace in some of the fiercest clashes in months.
Pro-government forces in the city are exchanging fire with rebels from the radical Islamist group al-Shabab. Thousands of civilians have fled. Pro-government forces have been locked in battle with radical guerrillas and 25,000 civilians have reportedly fled.
It came a day after the guerrillas and pro-government forces fought a deadly battle in central Somalia. Sources say the government's leadership is crumbling and many of its troops have defected to the rebels.
Meanwhile, the UN warned the Horn of Africa nation was facing its worst drought for at least a decade. Our correspondent says Mogadishu has seen plenty of fighting over the years but this appears on a different scale.
At least two people have been killed and 10 injured in Wednesday's fighting near the presidential palace in the Wardigley district and in the north of the city at the Bondere and Karan areas. Wednesday's fighting focused near the presidential palace in the Wardigley district and in the north of the city at the Bondere and Karan areas.
Five people died a day earlier during clashes in the village of Mahas, about 300km (180 miles) north-east of the capital. West's worst nightmare
'Rotting on the streets' It is estimated more than 120 lives have been lost since a combined force of militant Islamic groups, al-Shabab and Hisbul-Islam, launched an offensive at the weekend.
"Al-Shabab fighters ran into a mosque for refuge, but residents kept firing at them with rocket-propelled grenades," local man Aden Hussein told Reuters news agency by telephone.
What we have in Somalia is a government - weak, fragile - but it is a government and we have a moral obligation to help UN's Ahmed Ould Abdallah Somalia's text message insurgencyWhat we have in Somalia is a government - weak, fragile - but it is a government and we have a moral obligation to help UN's Ahmed Ould Abdallah Somalia's text message insurgency
But al-Shabab spokesman Sheik Ahmed Abu-Yahya said pro-government forces had lost the battle, telling AFP news agency by telephone: "Many of their dead are rotting on the streets." Now they have boxed in the government forces and African Union (AU) troops supporting them to a narrow pocket of territory inside the capital.
It is estimated more than 120 lives have been lost since the latest round of bloodletting erupted on Thursday. Military and intelligence sources say it is by no means certain the fragile Western-backed interim government can defend itself, according to BBC East Africa correspondent Peter Greste.
Somalia's fragile Western-backed interim government has been fighting radical Islamist groups like al-Shabab since 2006. If not, Somalia becomes the West's worst nightmare: A strategically placed country under the control of Islamic militants with links to al-Qaeda.
A moderate Islamist president took office in January but even his introduction of Sharia law to the strongly Muslim country has not appeased the guerrillas who battle pro-government and African Union (AU) forces in the capital almost daily. One assessment reckons the government, which has been fighting radical Islamists for three years, can only count on some 4,000 fighters against 6,000 from al-Shabab.
Meanwhile, the UN special representative for Somalia warned against treating the upsurge of fighting as just another round in a civil war, with faction fighting faction. Foreign radicals
Ahmed Ould Abdallah told a meeting at the AU headquarters in Ethiopia's capital, Addis Ababa, that Somalia now had a legitimate government and the current fighting should be viewed as an attempted coup d'etat. Many of the guerrillas are well-trained foreign radicals with reinforcements expected in the next day or so, says our correspondent.
He said: "There is no civil war any more in Somalia. What we have in Somalia is a government - weak, fragile - but it is a government and we have a moral, political obligation to help it. We cannot treat the aggressor and the victim at the same level." AU's MOGADISHU QUAGMIRE AU force in Somalia (Amisom) was mandated in January 2007Supposed to be 8,000-strong but currently has only 4,300 troops Comprised of soldiers from Uganda and BurundiSierra Leone has offered battalion, which would take force over 5,000Restricted by security situation to operations in Mogadishu
Sierra Leone surprise A moderate Islamist president took office in January but even his introduction of Sharia law to the strongly Muslim country has not appeased the guerrillas.
The AU announced a boost for its peacekeeping effort in Mogadishu - with the unexpected offer a battalion from Sierra Leone, which would raise the strength of the force to more than 5,000 troops. Meanwhile, the UN special representative for Somalia said the international community must do something.
AU's MOGADISHU MIGRAINE AU force in Somalia (Amisom) was mandated in January 2007Supposed to be 8,000-strong but currently has only 4,300 troops Comprised of soldiers from Uganda and BurundiSierra Leone has offered battalion, which would take force over 5,000Restricted by security situation to operations in Mogadishu Ahmed Ould Abdallah told a meeting of the AU in neighbouring Ethiopia: "What we have in Somalia is a government - weak, fragile - but it is a government and we have a moral, political obligation to help it."
The BBC's Elizabeth Blunt in Addis Ababa says the AU peacekeeping force in Somali lacks manpower and is under-resourced. The AU announced a boost for its under-resourced peacekeeping effort in Mogadishu - with the surprise offer of a battalion from Sierra Leone.
Although it has been able to keep the port and airport open it cannot stop fighting on the present scale or provide more than very limited protection to civilians, she adds. Although the mission has been able to keep the port and airport open it has been unable to stop the fighting or provide more than very limited protection to civilians.
The AU is still hoping for wider support through the UN, but every new outbreak of fighting makes it more likely the outside world will write off the problem as unsolvable, according to our correspondent.
The UN meanwhile warned that drought had left nearly half the Somali population malnourished and some 3.2 million people in urgent need of food aid.The UN meanwhile warned that drought had left nearly half the Somali population malnourished and some 3.2 million people in urgent need of food aid.
Somalia, a nation of about eight million people, has experienced almost constant conflict since the collapse of its central government in January 1991. The Horn of Africa nation of about eight million people has experienced almost constant conflict since the collapse of its central government in January 1991.
It is estimated that more than 16,000 civilians have been killed by fighting since the start of 2007 and more than one million are internal refugees.It is estimated that more than 16,000 civilians have been killed by fighting since the start of 2007 and more than one million are internal refugees.