Shabelle-Kismayu Bitter fighting between forces loyal to Harakat Al-shabab Mujahideen and Hizbul Islam is continuing in the port town of Kismayu in southern Somalia, witnesses and officials told Shabelle radio on Thursday.

Reports from the town say that fighting is very heavy and both sides are exchanging heavy weapon fire in the war, which has affected all movement of traffic, people and business in the town. Residents said that the sound of gunfire could be heard in the neighborhood of Iskuraran, where rival fighters are using different weapons in the clash. The real casualties of the fighting are unclear so far, as fighting caused people to remain in their houses due to the clashes in Kismayu, in Lower Jubba region.

Locals said that that the fighting started at Alanley neighborhood in Kismayu town around 6:40 local time early on Thursday morning and spread into other neighborhoods in the town. The spokesman of the Hisbul Islam organization for the consulting council who contacted Shabelle radio said that the fighting broke out as the Islamist fighters of Harakat Al-shabab Mujahideen attacked their bases in Kismayu town, adding that the fighting could involve other areas jointly controlled by both sides.

There is a great fear and tense situations in the town as people in the town have not the chance to flee from houses in which the fighting is going on now. The bitter fighting between the two sides comes as they had been exchanging misunderstanding words through the media over the recent days.