Somalia clan fighting kills 20

War-ravaged Mogadishu is plagued by clan rivalry

Heavily armed rival militia factions have clashed in the Somali capital, Mogadishu, killing at least 20 people, mainly civilians.

Witnesses said fighters loyal to the warlord Musa Sudi Yalahow battled gunmen loyal to the interim government in the Sana area of the city.

The fighting later subsided.

A market in the district suffered heavy damage and stray rounds also hit a Koranic school, homes and restaurants, the witnesses said.

Hundreds of people fled Sana as the fighting raged.

The Somali president is struggling to impose his authority

Five of the deaths occurred when an anti-tank round hit a bar in the city's Bakara market, Reuters news agency reported.

The latest clashes followed the deployment of government troops in the area on Friday.

A BBC correspondent in Somalia says Mr Yalahow was angered by the presence of the authorities' forces on what he regarded as Abgal clan territory, despite their having been invited by other clan elders. He denied shelling other areas of the city.

He is one of a number of warlords opposed to the interim government, which was set up last year at a conference in Djibouti.

Previous heavy intra-clan fighting has left at least 15 people dead and more than 40 injured.

In an effort to maintain order, President Abdulkassim Salat Hassan's fledgling government set up a 2,000-strong police force in June - the first since former President Mohamed Siad Barre was toppled in 1991.

But parts of Mogadishu remain in the hands of warlords opposed to the government.