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| Tanks pound Somalia's insurgents | Tanks pound Somalia's insurgents |
| (20 minutes later) | |
| Ethiopian and Somali government troops have launched a major new offensive against insurgents in the capital. | Ethiopian and Somali government troops have launched a major new offensive against insurgents in the capital. |
| Columns of tanks have been deployed and reinforcements sent to Mogadishu from other parts of Somalia. | Columns of tanks have been deployed and reinforcements sent to Mogadishu from other parts of Somalia. |
| "We are under heavy artillery and tank shelling," said an insurgent fighter from the city's dominant Hawiye clan. | "We are under heavy artillery and tank shelling," said an insurgent fighter from the city's dominant Hawiye clan. |
| A BBC correspondent in the city says the battles are the heaviest in nine days of fighting, with the offensive reaching previously peaceful areas. | A BBC correspondent in the city says the battles are the heaviest in nine days of fighting, with the offensive reaching previously peaceful areas. |
| We have to bite the bullet Ismail Mohamoud HurreSomali foreign minister | We have to bite the bullet Ismail Mohamoud HurreSomali foreign minister |
| Some 300 people have been killed in the recent clashes, after 1,000 deaths last month, local human rights group say. | Some 300 people have been killed in the recent clashes, after 1,000 deaths last month, local human rights group say. |
| The United Nations refugee agency says 340,000 people have fled Mogadishu since February and warns of a looming humanitarian crisis. | |
| It says it can only reach about 50,000 of the displaced. | |
| Somali Foreign Minister Ismail Mohamoud Hurre said the deaths and violence were a price worth paying to return normality to the country, which has not had a functioning national government for 16 years. | Somali Foreign Minister Ismail Mohamoud Hurre said the deaths and violence were a price worth paying to return normality to the country, which has not had a functioning national government for 16 years. |
| "The Ethiopian forces are doing very well, stopping the Jihadist elements from causing instability," he told the BBC's Network Africa programme. | "The Ethiopian forces are doing very well, stopping the Jihadist elements from causing instability," he told the BBC's Network Africa programme. |
| "We have to bite the bullet." | "We have to bite the bullet." |
| 'Hijacked' | 'Hijacked' |
| But a UK think-tank has strongly criticised last December's operation to oust an Islamist group which had taken control of Mogadishu and much of southern Somalia. | But a UK think-tank has strongly criticised last December's operation to oust an Islamist group which had taken control of Mogadishu and much of southern Somalia. |
| Many of the casualties are civilians | |
| The Islamist fighters have been joined by gunmen from the Hawiye clan, which does not back the government. | |
| "Genuine multilateral concern to support the reconstruction and rehabilitation of Somalia has been hijacked by unilateral actions of other international actors - especially Ethiopia and the United States - following their own foreign policy agendas," said the Chatham House report. | "Genuine multilateral concern to support the reconstruction and rehabilitation of Somalia has been hijacked by unilateral actions of other international actors - especially Ethiopia and the United States - following their own foreign policy agendas," said the Chatham House report. |
| "Whatever the short-term future holds, the complex social forces behind the rise of the Islamic Courts will not go away," the authors said. | "Whatever the short-term future holds, the complex social forces behind the rise of the Islamic Courts will not go away," the authors said. |
| The Union of Islamic Courts controlled Mogadishu for six months last year - reuniting the capital for the first time since 1991. | The Union of Islamic Courts controlled Mogadishu for six months last year - reuniting the capital for the first time since 1991. |
| On Wednesday, shells hit one of Mogadishu's main hospitals. | On Wednesday, shells hit one of Mogadishu's main hospitals. |
| Doctors say they cannot cope with all the casualties, while aid agencies say they are struggling to get food and shelter to those who have fled the city. | Doctors say they cannot cope with all the casualties, while aid agencies say they are struggling to get food and shelter to those who have fled the city. |
| Donors and diplomats have accused the government of hindering the aid effort with bureaucratic obstacles. | Donors and diplomats have accused the government of hindering the aid effort with bureaucratic obstacles. |
| The government says its checks on aid shipments are necessary to prevent insurgent attacks. | The government says its checks on aid shipments are necessary to prevent insurgent attacks. |
| Somalia has not had a functional government since 1991. Peace talks led to the formation of a transitional government in 2004, but it has so far failed to take full control of the country. | Somalia has not had a functional government since 1991. Peace talks led to the formation of a transitional government in 2004, but it has so far failed to take full control of the country. |
| Ethiopian troops announced they had begun to withdraw, to be replaced by an African Union peacekeeping force, but only 1,200 of the 8,000 troops the AU says it needs have been deployed. | Ethiopian troops announced they had begun to withdraw, to be replaced by an African Union peacekeeping force, but only 1,200 of the 8,000 troops the AU says it needs have been deployed. |