Mogadishu, 22 July 2007 - Witnesses in Somalia's capital say at least four people have been killed and seven others wounded in two separate attacks Sunday.

In one incident, government soldiers opened fire after their convoy was hit by a roadside bomb in the Hodan neighborhood, south of Mogadishu. Witnesses say the gunfire killed at least three people and injured four others.

The other incident involved in a clash in Mogadishu's Bakara market in which one person was killed and three others wounded. Insurgents and government soldiers have battled almost daily at the market in recent weeks, forcing traders to move their business elsewhere.

Somalia's interim government began a national reconcilation conference last week in hopes of ending the rampant violence in Mogadishu and restoring order to the country.

Islamists controlled Mogadishu and many other Somali cities until late last year, when the government ousted them with the help of Ethiopian forces. The government has since struggled to assert its authority in the face of an insurgent campaign.

Somalia has not had an effective central government in 16 years, since warlords overthrew dictator Mohamed Siad Barre in 1991.

Some information for this report was provided by AFP, AP and Reuters.

Source: VOA