Tuesday, October 19, 2010
 Al-Shabab fighters take up positions during clashes with Somali government soldiers and African Union troops in southern Mogadishu's Hodon neighborhood on Oct. 4, 2010. |
The fighting broke out on Monday in the Celgal and Qowlad areas, situated 15 kilometers (9 miles) north of Baladweyn town in the Hiran region, Radio Garowe reported.
Somalia has not had a functioning government since 1991, when warlords overthrew former dictator Mohamed Siad Barre.
Over the past two decades, up to one million people have lost their lives in fighting between rival factions and due to famine and disease.
There are more than 1.4 million internally displaced people (IDPs) in Somalia. Over 300,000 of the IDPs are sheltered in Mogadishu.
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Most of the displaced live in poor and degrading conditions on makeshift sites in southern and central Somalia, according to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees.
Source: PressTV