Around the World: Somalia

Clashes kill at least 12

Artillery battles between allied Somali-Ethiopian troops and Islamist insurgents killed at least 12 people yesterday around Mogadishu's sprawling Bakara Market, residents said.

One witness said at least 20 mortar bombs exploded in the heart of Somalia's coastal capital as the rebels attacked advancing Ethiopian forces with barrages of rockets.

Government officials say the market, notorious for its open-air arms bazaar, is a rebel stronghold. It has been the site of numerous clashes since early last year.

(China Daily 06/09/2008 page6)