MOGADISHU: 51 People Have Been Killed and More Than 100 Woun

[Kramer]

MOGADISHU, Somalia (AP) - Clutching a handful of possessions, Yonis Nor fled the Somali capital with his eight children and hundreds of other families, seeking safety from the daily onslaught of mortar and rocket attacks that have left dozens dead.

Somali government forces and Ethiopian troops exchanged heavy fire overnight with insurgents, leaving 15 dead and another 45 injured in the heaviest fighting so far this year in Mogadishu.

Among those killed in the clashes on Tuesday were a four-year-old boy and a pregnant woman. A 12-year-old girl lost both her legs in a blast, doctors said.

During a lull in Tuesday's fighting, families began fleeing Mogadishu in cars or on foot, while pulling carts heaped with mattresses, water containers and plastic sheeting.

"We cannot keep our children in this violent situation," said Yonis, 40. "I am scared."

Insurgents have staged near-daily attacks, with Mogadishu's civilian population bearing the brunt.

In the last three weeks, 51 people have been killed and more than 100 wounded. Ethiopian troops, largely seen as an occupying Christian force, have been accused of indiscriminate attacks against civilian-populated areas