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MOGADISHU, Somalia: Three clashes between Somali government forces and insurgents around Somalia's capital on Thursday left at least five people dead, witnesses said.
Three residents were killed in a village northeast of the city when Ethiopian-backed government forces fought with insurgents.
"The troops moved into our village early in the morning, but met resistance from insurgents hurling hand grenades," said resident Abdi Ahmed Lugey. He said three locals were caught in the crossfire as the battle intensified. Two men died when a mortar hit their house and a woman was shot in the head and killed.
Another resident, Hersi Ali, said the government troops had been trying to conduct house-to-house searches for weapons. Ali said he saw at least five others wounded as explosions rocked the village.
In the south of the city, another civilian was killed when insurgents ambushed a government patrol near a former cigarette factory — sparking a heavy gun battle, said local resident Yahye Shiekh Ilmi. He said the firefight lasted about half an hour.
In the third incident, government troops shot and killed a civilian in the city's main Bakara market.
"Uniformed troops moved into the market opening fire; they shot a civilian and withdrew immediately," said Asho Kheyre, a shopowner.
At least 12 people were admitted to hospitals with injuries, doctors at Mogadishu's three main hospitals confirmed.
Thousands of people were killed last year in Somalia, which is torn between Ethiopian troops supporting the shaky government and Islamic insurgents supported by Ethiopia's archenemy, Eritrea. The arid Horn of Africa nation has not had a functioning government since 1991, when warlords overthrew dictator Mohamed Siad Barre and then turned on one another.
Associated Press Writer Mohamed Sheikh Nor contributed to this report.
SOURCE: AP, February 21, 2008