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| Version 1 | Version 2 |
|---|---|
| Somalis fleeing renewed bloodshed | Somalis fleeing renewed bloodshed |
| (about 3 hours later) | |
| Thousands of residents of Somalia's capital are fleeing as the death toll from fighting in Mogadishu rises. | Thousands of residents of Somalia's capital are fleeing as the death toll from fighting in Mogadishu rises. |
| A health official told the BBC that 14 people had been killed overnight. A local human rights group estimates more than 120 have died in recent days. | A health official told the BBC that 14 people had been killed overnight. A local human rights group estimates more than 120 have died in recent days. |
| On Monday, Somalia's President Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed blamed radical Islamists for the renewed bloodshed. | On Monday, Somalia's President Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed blamed radical Islamists for the renewed bloodshed. |
| He told the BBC the hardliners had no interest in ending the violence and wanted to take Somalia by force. | He told the BBC the hardliners had no interest in ending the violence and wanted to take Somalia by force. |
| The fragile interim government has been fighting radical Islamist groups like al-Shabab since 2006. | The fragile interim government has been fighting radical Islamist groups like al-Shabab since 2006. |
| Caught unawares | Caught unawares |
| The latest fighting began on Thursday and escalated over the weekend between pro-government forces and Islamist groups. | The latest fighting began on Thursday and escalated over the weekend between pro-government forces and Islamist groups. |
| The fighting erupted in the most densely populated areas Rights campaigner Ali Shaykh Yasin | The fighting erupted in the most densely populated areas Rights campaigner Ali Shaykh Yasin |
| A spokesman for a local human rights group told a radio station in the capital that the fighting had caught residents unawares. | A spokesman for a local human rights group told a radio station in the capital that the fighting had caught residents unawares. |
| "The fighting erupted in the most densely populated areas," Elman Human Rights Group's Ali Shaykh Yasin told HornAfrik radio. | "The fighting erupted in the most densely populated areas," Elman Human Rights Group's Ali Shaykh Yasin told HornAfrik radio. |
| "The number of people killed who we saw were 123, while 312 others were wounded," he said. | "The number of people killed who we saw were 123, while 312 others were wounded," he said. |
| His group estimates that more than 17,000 people have fled so far. | His group estimates that more than 17,000 people have fled so far. |
| An ambulance driver says the bodies his service collected overnight were mostly of civilians. | An ambulance driver says the bodies his service collected overnight were mostly of civilians. |
| Local journalist Mohamed Sheikh Nor told the BBC that fighting had died down by Tuesday morning, but sporadic gunfire could be heard in parts of the city. | Local journalist Mohamed Sheikh Nor told the BBC that fighting had died down by Tuesday morning, but sporadic gunfire could be heard in parts of the city. |
| President Sharif took office in January leading the Western-backed government set up after UN-brokered peace talks. | President Sharif took office in January leading the Western-backed government set up after UN-brokered peace talks. |
| But even his fragile administration's introduction of Sharia law to the strongly Muslim country has not appeased the radical guerrillas who battle pro-government forces and African Union troops in the capital almost daily. | But even his fragile administration's introduction of Sharia law to the strongly Muslim country has not appeased the radical guerrillas who battle pro-government forces and African Union troops in the capital almost daily. |
| Somalia, a nation of about eight million people, has experienced almost constant conflict since the collapse of its central government in January 1991. | Somalia, a nation of about eight million people, has experienced almost constant conflict since the collapse of its central government in January 1991. |
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