Residents have fled the Somali capital following a day of fierce fighting between government forces and hardline Islamist rebels that left at least 31 people dead.
Most of those killed in yesterday’s exchanges were civilians trapped in the crossfire or claimed by mortars.
‘The city is quiet this morning and many people are fleeing to avoid upcoming attacks, I think the government is planning a further offensive,’ said Somali police officer Colonel Mohamed Adan.
Yesterday, government forces encountered fierce resistance as they tried unsuccessfully to drive the Islamist insurgents from the capital.
With President Sharif Sheikh Ahmed holed up in his compound with a handful of supporters, his embattled forces attacked insurgents in three positions they had lost in two weeks of fighting that have now killed close to 150 people.
Aid agencies said on Wednesday that the first 12 days of clashes had displaced 46,000 people from Mogadishu.
Somalia has been mired in conflict for 18 years. Neighbouring states and Western security forces fear the Horn of Africa state could become a haven for al-Qaeda linked militants.
