(SomaliNet) Local insurgents have ambushed positions of the Somali police forces in north of the capital Mogadishu on Thursday afternoon killing five soldiers and confiscated a vehicle mounted with anti tank gun and several rifles, witnesses said. The latest skirmish happened around Mother and Child SOS hospital in Huriwa district where the rival sides exchanged all sorts of weapons. Abdisalan, a local resident told Somalinet that he saw the bodies of five soldiers killed by rocket propelled grenade that his where they taking position. “The police force run away from some of their machine-guns and a truck mounted with anti tank gun, the insurgents took over the base briefly and disappeared later,” added Abdisalan.
The government did not give any comment about the latest gun battle involved by its soldiers. If this confirmed, it would be severe blow to the government battling for restoring peace in the capital. It is not yet clear whether there was casualty on the insurgent side or not. The latest fighting came as the interim government announced that it lifted the curfew from the capital Mogadishu as the violence increased.