Press TV -Heavy clashes between government-backed Ethiopian Woyanne forces and Somali fighters have left more than 16 Ethiopian  waoyannes dead, news reports say. The attacks — on a military base in north Mogadishu located near a former pasta factory — killed 16 Ethiopian s Woyanne soldiers, prompting hundreds of other troops to escape from the base while spraying gunfire at Somali civilians.

Among the Ethiopians Woyanne killed, three high-ranking officers were identified, Press TV correspondent in Somalia says.

The US-backed Ethiopian Woyanne troops marched into Somalia in December 2006 to help the country’s interim government oust the Union of Islamic Courts (UIC), who had taken control of large parts in south and central Somalia.

Conflict-torn Somalia, lacking a functioning government since the 1991 ouster of dictator Mohamed Siad Barre, has seen thousands of people, including many civilians die in the unrest which has displaced thousands more.