Fighting continues in Mogadishu

Heavy fighting continued in Mogadishu on Monday as militia loyal to faction leaders Husayn Aydid and Usman Ato clashed with a militia loyal to the Transitional National Government (TNG), local sources told IRIN. The fighting started when militia loyal to Ato on 15 July tried to loot a convoy of trucks carrying relief food donated by Saudi Arabia, at a checkpoint in the south of the city. The checkpoint at KM-7 on the Afgoi road is controlled by Ato’s militia, according to Mogadishu resident Hasan Ahmad. The fighting which started on the morning of 15 July died down as darkness fell, but resumed in earnest on Monday morning, humanitarian sources in Mogadishu told IRIN. The fighting, which was concentrated in southwest Mogadishu, reportedly died down later in the afternoon, but the two sides were still facing each other at KM-7 and fighting could resume at any time, a local doctor told IRIN. He said death toll estimates so far ranged between 50 and 100. Monday’s fighting is the latest in a series of confrontations in Mogadishu since 12 July. [for more details see IRIN Separate: Mogadishu fighting escalates]