The Arab League (AL) on Thursday urged for an immediate ceasefire in the Somali capital Mogadishu, condemning the attacks on civilians in the war-torn country.

In an official statement, the Cairo-based AL secretariat expressed concern and regret on the continuation of battles in Mogadishu, where hundreds of innocent people were killed and injured and hundreds of thousands of people were homeless.

The AL also called for dispatch of troops from African states to support the African Union mission in the war-ravaged country so that Ethiopian troops can leave Somalia without a security vacuum, that would prepare the way for holding a reconciliation conference.

Having decided boosting its medical mission in Mogadishu through dispatching more medics, medicine and medical equipment, the AL called on international organizations and non-governmental organizations quickly to send humanitarian aid to Somalia.

On Thursday, Egypt called for an immediate end of fighting in Somalia to preserve lives and property, insisting that Somalia problem would not be solved through military means but dialogue.

A senior Egyptian Foreign Ministry official expressed Egypt's deep concern over the killing of hundreds of civilians after several days of battles, urging the warring sides to respect international conventions and humanitarian laws.

The latest outbreak of violence began Thursday after two weeks of relative calm as ceasefire between the two sides has been emplaced. However, Ethiopian troops tried to take new positions in Mogadishu and insurgent groups began to resist.

The warfare devastating Mogadishu began late last year when Somalia's transitional government called for Ethiopian troops to help chase away the Supreme Council Islamic Courts (SCIC).

Since Somalia's civil war broke out in 1991, militias loyal to clan and sub-clan-based factions have controlled different parts of the country, with no central authority to provide law and order or basic services to the local citizens.

Source: Xinhua