Somali violence claims seven civilians

MOGADISHU, Somalia, Sept. 24 (UPI) -- At least seven civilians have died since fighting erupted in the Somali capital of Mogadishu, with officials saying peacekeepers also are coming under fire.

Islamist insurgents attacked African Union peacekeeping troops from Uganda, who countered with tank and artillery fire, the BBC reported Wednesday.

The latest round of fighting began Monday, when about 30 people died and scores were injured, officials said. In addition to the seven civilian deaths, Tuesday's fighting south of the city also saw people fleeing the capital, the British broadcaster reported.

Maj. Bahoku Barigye, an spokesman for the AU mission to Somalia, said no casualties were reported among the peacekeepers and that a resolution to Somalia's long-running conflict would take time.

"There is no lost cause here," Barigye said. "It's just a question of time, a question of patience, it's a question of tolerance, it's a question of understanding."

Somalia has been in conflict since 1991, when President Mohamed Siad Barre was overthrown. Ethiopians troops intervened in 2006 to help the government turn back Islamist forces from the capital and surrounding regions, the BBC said. Since then, Islamists have been battling Somalia's transitional government.