Fighting kills at least 11 in Somali capital

MOGADISHU (Reuters) - Somali government troops backed by African Union peacekeepers battled insurgents on Sunday in clashes that killed at least 11 people in north Mogadishu, residents and officials said.

Somalia's government and a 4,300-strong AU force (AMISOM) have been unable to take control of rebel strongholds in Mogadishu and other parts of the Horn of Africa nation despite international support and training.

Mogadishu's deputy mayor said the rebels had captured an area near the presidential palace at the weekend.

Somalia's interim government has been pushing for a stronger mandate for AMISOM to allow its soldiers to help government forces in their fight against opposition groups. Ugandan and Burundi peacekeepers are only mandated to defend themselves if attacked and protect key sites such as the presidential palace, airport and harbour.

"AMISOM backed us up in this latest operation because the rebels were only one kilometre to the presidential palace," said Abdifitah Shawey.

"We lost three soldiers in battle and the other side left more dead bodies behind. I do not know their exact number."

An ambulance driver told Reuters that he had seen eight dead fighters lying on the streets and had picked up 16 wounded.

"Shelling into the residential areas is still going on. We do no have access into some areas," said Ali Muse of Mogadishu Lifeline and Nationlink Ambulance service.

An AMISOM spokesman said, "Our troops were in imminent danger so we had to take some limited action because the rebels crossed the red line where they were not supposed to go to avoid our military action."

Residents said they saw AU troops in battlewagons fighting against insurgents in north Mogadishu. "I have seen early this morning tanks of AMISOM going towards the frontline of the fighting and after a short while we heard gunshots much louder and heavier than in the past days," said resident Ahmed Haji.

Fighting in Somalia since Ethiopian troops ousted a sharia courts movement in late 2006 has killed at least 18,000 people and sent hundreds of thousands more fleeing from their homes.

On Saturday, clashes between insurgents and government troops killed at least 20 people in the heaviest fighting for a week in the capital.

(Additional reporting by Abdi Guled; Writing by Jack Kimball; Editing by Louise Ireland)