MOGADISHU, Somalia, Oct. 27 (UPI) -- Residents of Mogadishu said seven Ethiopians died when heavy fighting returned to Somalia's capital Saturday.
The renewed violence followed the arrival of 20 Ethiopian tanks and armored cars in Mogadishu this week, the BBC said.
During the arrival of the military vehicles on Friday, one exploded after hitting a land mine inside the city limits.
Witnesses to Saturday's fighting said insurgents temporarily took control of a local police station and ransacked it before retreating from the area.
Meanwhile, shelling and gunfire throughout the city Saturday resulted in 11 Somali citizens seeking medical treatment for injuries, the report said.
The BBC said that to date, the ongoing violence in the region between insurgents and the Ethiopian-backed government has resulted in the deaths of hundreds of civilians.
Nearly 400,000 other residents of the war-torn country have also fled their homes in the last four months in a desperate attempt to avoid the growing regional conflict.
