Official: At least 40 civilians die as battle in Somalia’s capital goes into 2nd day
By APTuesday, August 24, 2010
40 Somalis die in battle in Mogadishu
MOGADISHU, Somalia — An emergency official in Somalia’s capital says at least 40 civilians have been killed and more than 130 wounded in fighting between Islamist insurgents and government forces backed by African Union peacekeepers.
Ali Muse, the head of Mogadishu’s ambulance service, says the warring sides resumed their fighting Tuesday in the southern and northern parts of the capital as their mortars and tank fire pounded different parts of the city.
The fighting started Monday evening after Somalia’s most powerful militia declared a “massive” war against what they called the invaders — a reference to the 6,000 African Union troops deployed in Mogadishu.
Somalia hasn’t had a central government since 1991.
