Al Jazeera English - News

Al Jazeera English - News:

Street battles rage on in Mogadishu

Groups opposed to Somalia's interim government have fought in and around the capital Shelling and gunfire has continued in Somalia's capital Mogadishu, after 21 died in fighting and a suicide attack at an Ethiopian base the previous day, according to witness reports. Ethiopian troops battled Somali groups opposed to the country's interim government in north Mogadishu on Friday, forcing residents to stay in their homes. As the violence intensified, the UN refugee agency said that 213,000 people have fled Mogadishu in the past two months. "People are reported to still be fleeing the capital," said Ron Redmond, a spokesman for the UN High Commissioner for Refugees.