MOGADISHU, Somalia Nov 8 (Garowe Online) - Heavy fighting erupted in parts of south Mogadishu late Thursday between rebels and Ethiopian-backed government troops, sources said.
The battle, concentrated in the Baar Ubah and Black Sea neighborhoods, erupted after Ethiopian troops tracking down the location of a dead comrade's corpse were attacked by masked insurgents. The dead body of the Ethiopian soldier was dragged through streets by angry mobs who shouted anti-Ethiopia slogans.
Mogadishu's faceless fightersA total of six Ethiopian soldiers were confirmed dead as the battle continued into the early evening. Ethiopian forces killed eight rebels and captured five fighters alive, reliable sources said.
Three Ethiopian soldiers were kidnapped by the insurgents. One of the captured Ethiopian soldiers was wounded when the rebels took him away, said a witness who did not want to be named in print.
At least six civilians were killed in the crossfire.
The corpse that was dragged on the streets was killed in a previous battle in north Mogadishu's livestock market earlier Thursday. Ethiopian forces lost three men and retreated back to base during that battle, bringing the total dead Ethiopian soldiers in Mogadishu today to nine.
The Ethiopian unit returned for a second showdown in the livestock market around noon and engaged the rebels. For a second time, the Ethiopian unit returned to base with casualties.
Today's battles were the deadliest in months and come during a week when more than 2,000 extra Ethiopian troops entered Mogadishu. Many locals fearing a brutal Ethiopian crackdown were said to be fleeing their homes in those areas.
Source: Garowe Online
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