afrol News, 18 July - A renewed clash between insurgents and Ethiopia backed Somali troops claimed six lives and wounded nine after heavy fighting in the country's capital, Mogadishu, insurgents spokesman has claimed.

A clash come in less than a week after Somali transitional government and the country's insurgents were praised for their effort in advancing a peace accord signed in Djibouti in June by UN Special Representative for Somalia.

The confrontation erupted in the city when Islamist insurgents attacked a government base, then in retaliation, government soldiers exchanged heavy artillery in their defense.

Four civilians died after shells landed in their homes in Yaqshid and Huruwaa districts in the northwest of Mogadishu while four others were wounded. Two other civilians were separately wounded by stray bullets, a witness said.

Islamic Courts Union fighters spokesman, Mr Abdirahim Isse Addow, said his group carried out the attacks which began after insurgents launched concerted attacks on a number of Ethiopian and Somali government army bases.

Mr Addow claimed to have inflicted heavy losses on the Ethiopian and Somali government forces, a claim that cannot be independently verified as there was no official statistics of government troops wounded and killed.

Though both government troops and insurgents claim victory over the confrontation that lasted for more than two hours, rebels spokesman admitted that two of the Islamist fighters were killed and three others were wounded in the fighting.

Insurgents have been waging near daily attacks on Somali and Ethiopian troops since early 2007 shortly after Ethiopian troops backed Somali government to oust an Islamist administration that had been in control in the south and center of the war-torn Horn of African country.

The latest clash comes a week after a July 9 deadline for the implementation of a truce signed in Djibouti last month by the federal government and top leaders from the main Islamist-dominated opposition movement.

The accord which was rejected by other Islamist hardliners gave Transitional Federal Government (TFG) and opposition Alliance for the Re-Liberation of Somalia a month to enforce a ceasefire and end their conflict to the troubled Horn of Africa country, which has not had a functioning government since 1991.

Islamists rebels insisted that Ethiopian forces backing the government should withdraw from the country before any peace talks could resume in Somalia.

Widespread violence in Somalia has hindered aid efforts, in the country which is facing humanitarian crisis caused by conflict, drought, and price rises in basic commodities. Some 2.6 million Somalis representing 35 per cent of the population are believed to be in need of humanitarian aid.

By staff writer

© afrol News

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