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A fresh outbreak of fighting between the al-Shabab fighters and Somali government forces has left at least 11 civilians dead in the country's capital city, Mogadishu. More than 30 other civilians were injured after the fighting broke out near the presidential palace in Mogadishu on Saturday, a Press TV correspondent reported.
Witnesses said the civilians were fatally shot in the area as they tried to flee the scene of the battle.
Al-Shabab has been trying to cut off the only road that leads to the presidential palace for over a week now.
More than 80 civilians have been killed in the area since Monday.
Al-Shabab claims that the government troops are losing territory in the capital where the area under the interim government's control has already shrunk to a few blocks.
Somalia has not had a functioning government since warlords overthrew former dictator Mohamed Siad Barre in 1991.
The Somali government has struggled for years to restore security, but efforts have not yet yielded results in the Horn of Africa country.
Source: Press TV