The battle, which broke out in northern Mogadishu, was the worst in a month as each side fired machine guns, lobbed grenades and flung mortars at the other.

The escalated fighting came as United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said peacekeepers might be sent to Somalia should certain conditions, like an agreed ceasefire, be met.

'I woke up hearing residents yelling as they were escaping Ethiopian soldiers in the streets,' said Leylo Mo'alim, 29.

Doctors and nurses said at least 20 people were admitted to hospitals around the bullet-scarred capital.

'Insurgents tried to retrieve the bodies on the road but the crossfire rained down from both sides so they were unable,' said Mahad Sadeek, who witnessed the clash.

The Ethiopian-backed transitional government rolled into the capital in January 2007, unleashing a brutal, Iraq-style insurgency that has displaced more than 600,000 people in what the UN calls the world's worst and most neglected humanitarian crisis.

Somalia has had no effective central rule since the 1991 toppling of dictator Mohammed Siad Barre, which plunged the Horn of Africa country into lawlessness and insecurity.

SOURCE: Monster and Critics, March 19, 2008

Dr Ali @ 3/21/2008 6:11 AM EST  Yes, the battle rages across Mogadishu and Amhara lovers days are numbered. Amhara cow cousins surrendered yesterday to J fighters. They asked protection and save passage for others to Garoowe. Rain begins drips then pours. People who want to die for cause and someone who want to dice with Amhara cannot play goal oriented business. Amhara lovers will lose sooner in this world and here after. Fulay hurdada mallado

somali unity 12 @ 3/20/2008 7:08 AM EST  somali_unity123 war ninyahow isku xishoo..u don't even know what you talking about man.. war oday yuusuf he feels left out now..because nuur cade has all the friends in the west..even yuusuf's best friend or should i say boss..gabre wuu uxanaaqsanyahay..marka i know your dreaming laakiin iska wado.. maanta soo ma ahayn marya calastaadii xaaraanta aheeyd..kuwii suuqa bakaaraha lagu jiid jiiidaayay.. like a great man said ..(mr. Abdiqasim. marya calas needs to go to their jungle..or else suuqa bakaaraha iyo xoolaha baa hilibkooda lagu cunayaa..ninkii dhoof ku yimid beey geeridu dhibaysaa. walee jahanama weey sugeeysaa..so keep dreaming saxiib'''

halganka @ 3/20/2008 12:31 AM EST  waa wax lagu farxo maanta in ummadda soomaaliyeed badankood dhinac ka siman yihiin aragti amreysa inay dalkooda (lixda qaybood ee soomaaliya ka kooban tahay), marka lagu daro gasiiradda SOKOTRA, ay u horseedaan halgan ka dhan ah shisheeyaha mid madow iyo mid cadba. ummadda soomaaliyeed waa ay heshiineysaa waayo wax xumaan ah oo dhextaalaa ma jirto waana ummad isku diin, af iyo dhaqan wadaaga, taas ayaa dedejineysa in dadka somaaliyeed midoobaan kuna tusaale qaataan tafaraaruqa iyo aafooyinkiisa u gaarka ah. Fiiro gaara: soomaaliya itoobiyaan ma gumeysto ee waxaa itoobiyaanka meesha ku haya reer-galbeed oo dhan iyo carab oo maalgalin ku suubiya inay soomaaliya nidaam dowladeed oo dhidhibada u aasan ku istaajiya qarannimadeena la heli waayo.

halganka @ 3/20/2008 12:31 AM EST  waa wax lagu farxo maanta in ummadda soomaaliyeed badankood dhinac ka siman yihiin aragti amreysa inay dalkooda (lixda qaybood ee soomaaliya ka kooban tahay), marka lagu daro gasiiradda SOKOTRA, ay u horseedaan halgan ka dhan ah shisheeyaha mid madow iyo mid cadba. ummadda soomaaliyeed waa ay heshiineysaa waayo wax xumaan ah oo dhextaalaa ma jirto waana ummad isku diin, af iyo dhaqan wadaaga, taas ayaa dedejineysa in dadka somaaliyeed midoobaan kuna tusaale qaataan tafaraaruqa iyo aafooyinkiisa u gaarka ah. Fiiro gaara: soomaaliya itoobiyaan ma gumeysto ee waxaa itoobiyaanka meesha ku haya reer-galbeed oo dhan iyo carab oo maalgalin ku suubiya inay soomaaliya nidaam dowladeed oo dhidhibada u aasan ku istaajiya qarannimadeena la heli waayo.

halganka @ 3/20/2008 12:30 AM EST  waa wax lagu farxo maanta in ummadda soomaaliyeed badankood dhinac ka siman yihiin aragti amreysa inay dalkooda (lixda qaybood ee soomaaliya ka kooban tahay), marka lagu daro gasiiradda SOKOTRA, ay u horseedaan halgan ka dhan ah shisheeyaha mid madow iyo mid cadba. ummadda soomaaliyeed waa ay heshiineysaa waayo wax xumaan ah oo dhextaalaa ma jirto waana ummad isku diin, af iyo dhaqan wadaaga, taas ayaa dedejineysa in dadka somaaliyeed midoobaan kuna tusaale qaataan tafaraaruqa iyo aafooyinkiisa u gaarka ah. Fiiro gaara: soomaaliya itoobiyaan ma gumeysto ee waxaa itoobiyaanka meesha ku haya reer-galbeed oo dhan iyo carab oo maalgalin ku suubiya inay soomaaliya nidaam dowladeed oo dhidhibada u aasan ku istaajiya qarannimadeena la heli waayo.