Residents of Mogadishu are mourning after several civilians were killed in a rebel attack on African Union forces late Monday night.<br/> <br />Al Shabaab militants, who are allied to Al Qaeda, fired shells at Burundi troops in Northern Mogadishu.<br/> <br />They missed their positions and hit two residential houses, killing at least seven civilians, and sparking a deadly overnight battle.<br/> <br />As people gathered to collect the bodies and offer prayers, a neighbour of the deceased recounted what had happened.<br/> <br />(SOUNDBITE) (Somali) NEIGHBOUR OF DEAD FAMILY, AMINA ALI, SAYING:<br/> <br />"Now you see, our neighbours' families died last night when artillery shelling landed behind their home. We are very shocked and sad to see this tragedy."<br/> <br />The overnight fighting took place in Mogadishu's northern Daynile district, the rebels' last position after an AU peacekeeping mission and Somali troops forced them out of the city last year.<br/> <br />Meanwhile, a UN delegation visited an internally displaced camp in Mogadishu to assess the needs of residents who fled from areas still affected by the conflict.<br/> <br />Al Shabaab has waged a bloody five-year campaign to topple Somalia's Western-backed government and impose its harsh interpretation of Islamic Sharia law.<br/> <br />Sarah Sheffer, Reuters
