At least six people were killed and dozens wounded Monday when Somali police clashed with gunmen for control of the airport in Baidoa, where Somalia's transitional government is based.

Sources said the gun battle broke out near the airport as government forces fought local militiamen who set up roadblocks to extort money from travelers.

The clan-based militia had previously demanded taxes from airport users.

Government spokesman Abdirahman Dinari said that police had been ordered to take control of the airport.

Officials said government forces have now taken control of the city airport from militia who had been controlling it.

"They moved to the airport to stop activities that were undermining the smooth running of the facility. As of now, the airport is in the hands of the government," Dinari said.

The fighting came as talks aimed at easing tensions between the United Nations-backed government and rapidly rising Islamists which controls a large part of southern Somalia including the capital, Mogadishu, got underway in Khartoum.

The largely powerless government is already under pressure from rival Islamists who seized Mogadishu from U.S.-backed warlords in June and now control huge swathes of southern Somalia.

Source: Xinhua