Six killed in Somalia clashes
2008-03-24 19:06
Mogadishu - Four policemen and two civilians were killed on Monday in the latest fighting in the Somali capital, witnesses and police said.
Islamist insurgents attacked policemen manning a checkpoint in southern Mogadishu's KPP neighbourhood, triggering a heavy exchange of fire, they said.
"I have seen three dead soldiers and a civilian near KPP intersection. They were all killed in the clashes," said Mohamed Suge Ali, a witness.
Angry residents dragged the body of one of the policemen through the streets after the fighting subsided, said Omar Ali, another witness.
A policeman and a second civilian died in hospital, bringing the overall toll to six people. The pair were among a group of 10 people taken for treatment, said Ali Ade, a medical aid in the capital's Madina hospital.
A Somali policeman confirmed the deaths, a day after five fatalities occurred in similar clashes in Mogadishu.
Over the past year, the city has been rocked by almost daily violence pitting Ethiopian-backed Somali forces against Islamist insurgents.
The guerrilla fighting has killed hundreds of civilians and forced tens of thousands to flee.
- SAPA