Gunbattles in the Somali capital, 47 people died and 71 were wounded

Insurgents and Ethiopian troops backing Somali government forces fought gunbattles on Sunday in the Somali capital. At least 47 people died and 71 were wounded.

Photo: Gunbattles in the Somali capital, 47 people died and 71 were wounded

Some of the 41 dead civilians are people who were wounded in the previous day's heavy fighting and died of their injuries Sunday, said Sudan Ali Ahmed, the chairman of the Elman Human Rights Organization. Six insurgents died.

Ahmed said the figures were based on what Mogadishu residents, hospitals and human rights activists reported to his group Sunday. They did not have any casualty figures for either Ethiopian or Somali government soldiers.

"The killing of civilians like this is a crime against humanity," Ahmed told The Associated Press by phone. "We urge the international community to send a team to investigate these crimes. They are war crimes."