Mogadishu military base attacked

Insurgents fired rockets on a military base in the Somali capital Mogadishu overnight, sparking an hour-long gun battle that killed two civilians, according to witnesses and a military officer.

“At least 50 men armed with rocket-propelled grenades and machine guns attacked our base,” said Hassan Mohamed Abdi, a military officer.

“We fended them off. We were told two civilians died.”

Residents said they cowered in their homes as the gunfire pounded the city.