Somalia: At least 12 dead after heavy fighting in Mogadishu

Somalia: At least 12 dead after heavy fighting in Mogadishu 8 Jan 8, 2012 - 6:57:14 AM

MOGADISHU, Somalia Jan 8 2012 (Garowe Online) – At least 12 civilians died after heavy fighting Saturday in the capital Mogadishu, Radio Garowe reports.

Heavy artillery was fired back and forth as Al Shabaab insurgents and Transitional Federal Government (TFG) troops alongside AMISOM peacekeepers fought in the district of Karaan late Saturday night.

The heavy fighting caused 12 deaths and many more people were injured after anti aircraft artillery hit a Mosque in the neighborhood of Huliwa.

Local sources say that the mosque was hit at least 15 times with anti aircraft weaponry 3 people were killed that had been in mosque when fighting erupted between AMISOM peacekeepers and TFG troops.

Sheikh Abdirahman Tabaru who was the Mosque’s imam was killed in the fighting last night, it is unclear who fired the artillery that destroyed the Mosque and killed the imam while injuring many others.

Al Shabaab insurgents have continued their guerilla war in Mogadishu since losing their stronghold on the capital after the TFG backed by AMISOM peacekeepers conducted military operations that led to Al Shabaab’s retreat from Mogadishu and into southern and central
Somalia.