At least 16 people have been killed in renewed fighting in the Somali capital, Mogadishu, eyewitnesses say.

Ethiopian troops backing the interim government clashed with Islamic fighters in the north-east of the city.

Five Ethiopian soldiers and 11 civilians are reported to be among those killed.

Somalia has been wracked by violence since Ethiopia rescued the government in 2006, ousting an Islamist militia that had held much of the country.

The latest fighting began early on Saturday, when the Ethiopian troops moved against insurgents, but encountered heavy resistance.

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The Ethiopians responded with gunfire and heavy artillery.

One mortar shell reportedly fell on a busy restaurant, where five people are said to have died.

(BBC)

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