Ground Report

Fierce gun-battles today in the streets of Mogadishu, capital of Somalia have left at least five Ethiopian soldiers and seven civilains dead. The gun-battles started when Ethiopian soldiers supporting the interim Government in Somalia were engaging a gang of rebel insurgents near the stadium, late Friday. Eye-witness reports suggest that the bodies of the dead Ethiopian soldiers were dragged through the streets of Mogadishu by the rebel soldiers. According to official estimates from hospitals, 11 civilains are severely injured and the numbers are expected to rise. Somalia, according to the United Nations, is facing a major ‘humanitarian catastrophe’  with more than 80,000 people displaced by the recent fighting around 400,000 people living in refugee camps in towns outside Mogadishu. The political crisis in Somalia has further worsened after resignation of prime-minister  Ali Mohammed Ghedi last Monday.