At least 20 people were killed in Mogadishu on Thursday as heavy artillery was used in residential areas. Witnesses reported bodies strewn along the street and people fleeing Ethiopian troop gunfire. Only fighters and men protecting their property remain in the city, aid workers say. The main route used by people fleeing Mogadishu has been closed after an Ethiopian convoy on the road was mined and a blast at a nearby military base on Thursday.

More than 200,000 people have fled their homes since US-backed Ethiopian troops helped the government oust an Islamist group from Mogadishu in December, the UN says. Most lack food and water and hundreds have already died from cholera and diarrhea. There are also claims that the transitional government has blocked aid distribution. Last month, more than 1,000 people were killed in the heaviest fighting since 1991. Ethiopian troops have started to withdraw but only 1,200 of the 8,000 replacement AU troops said needed have been deployed.

Main Source: BBC