Clashes Between African Union Peacekeepers, Militants Leave 14 Dead Near Mogadishu

14 Killed In Clashes Near Mogadishu
A Somalia carries the body of his child, whose death was caused by heavy fighting as Somali government and African Union troops battled a powerful militia warlord in a bid to disarm him, on August 15, 2014 in Mogadishu. Somalia's government launched a disarmament campaign earlier this month, with troops backed by the AU mission in Somalia (AMISOM) today fighting to seize weapons from militia leader Ahmed Dai. AFP PHOTO/Abdulfitah Hashi Nor (Photo credit should read ABDULFITAH HASHI NOR/AFP/Getty Images)
A Somalia carries the body of his child, whose death was caused by heavy fighting as Somali government and African Union troops battled a powerful militia warlord in a bid to disarm him, on August 15, 2014 in Mogadishu. Somalia's government launched a disarmament campaign earlier this month, with troops backed by the AU mission in Somalia (AMISOM) today fighting to seize weapons from militia leader Ahmed Dai. AFP PHOTO/Abdulfitah Hashi Nor (Photo credit should read ABDULFITAH HASHI NOR/AFP/Getty Images)

MOGADISHU, Aug 15 (Reuters) - At least 14 people were killed in heavy fighting when African Union peacekeepers entered a surburb of the Somali capital Mogadishu in an offensive against armed militias.

Frequent militant attacks in the Horn of Africa country show that a push by African Union peacekeeping troops has not weakened the Islamist al Shabaab group's capacity to wage asymmetric warfare in the capital, where coordination between Somali and foreign intelligence agencies is poor.

"At least 14 people, mostly militia, died in the fighting this morning. The government's aim is to secure the city," Major Abdullahi Farah, a senior police officer, told Reuters. (Reporting by Abdi Sheik; Writing by James Macharia; Editing by Kevin Liffey)

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