At least 21 people have been killed and 45 wounded in two days of fighting over fishing rights in central Somalia.
Village elders said the battle, which began yesterday and continued into today, involved the Qubeys and Sa'ad subclans, who are involved in a long-running dispute over fishing rights on a beach in Hobyo district.
Qubeys is a major subclan in the larger Dir group, while Sa'ad is a subset of Habr Gedir.
Elders said mediation failed to prevent the fighting after the dispute started last year.
The fighting, which involved looting and cattle-theft, forced hundreds of non-armed residents, including women and children, to flee the usually peaceful area.
Some of the wounded had to be taken to hospitals more than 100 kilometres away because closer medical facilities are located in areas controlled by hostile groups, according to elders.
AFP