Thu Jul 1, 2010 7:59am GMT
MOGADISHU (Reuters) - At least 21 people were killed and 42 wounded in
fighting in Somalia, a human rights group said on Thursday.
Fighting between clans left 14 people dead and 24 injured in the village
of Huldonyale in central Somalia, the Mogadishu-based Elman rights group
said.
Government troops alongside African Union peacekeepers exchanged shells
in Mogadishu with al Qaeda-linked al Shabaab rebels, who are waging an
Islamist insurgency against the Western-backed government. Seven people
were killed and 18 wounded.
The clan fighting was believed to be a continuation of clashes over
pasture and water.
"This clash has been recurring for months. It seems there is no sign of
a ceasefire agreement between these two neighbouring clans," Ali Yasin
Gedi, the vice chairman of Elman, told Reuters.
Somalia has had no effective central government for 19 years and has
become a safe haven for Islamist militants and clan fighters. More than
21,000 people have been killed in the violence since the start of 2007
and 1.5 million forced from their homes.
