MOGADISHU (Reuters) - At least 23 Somalis, mostly civilians, were killed and more than fifty wounded in Mogadishu on late Saturday in the latest clash between government troops and fighters, medics said. As of now, I can tell you that 23 died and more then fifty injuries were dropped at the hospital, Ali Muse, a paramedic, told Reuters. African Union peacekeepers (AMISOM) have warned fighters who have been advancing on Somali government positions to back down or face retaliation. There is a limit, when they (insurgents) cross that line we shall engage them immediately, Maj-Gen Francis Okello, AMISOMs commander, told Reuters. That is in our mandate, and we are carefully watching them. The 4,300 Ugandan and Burundian troops have been confined to their bases and are limited to protecting key sites such as the presidential palace, airport and seaport. The government of former hardliner-turned-moderate President Sheikh Sharif Ahmed has been pushing for the AMISOM mandate to be beefed up so it can help the government take on the rebels. But the Al-Shabaab group had warned that a stronger AMISOM would have made the situation worse. Al Qaeda-linked fighters in Al-Shabaab control much of southern and central Somalia and all but a few blocks of the capital. They (government) started the new offensive and they were defeated and remain in an area of only 2km, they have suffered a major setback, Sheikh Muse Abdi Arale, spokesman for Hizbul Islam, told Reuters. Residents say Al-Shabaab fighters were closing in on the presidential palace. On Saturday, a local radio journalist who was shot in the stomach during Fridays battles died. Somalia is one of the worlds most dangerous places for reporters to work. Neighbouring countries in the Horn of Africa region and western governments fear if the Somali government is overthrown, the lawless nation will become a safe haven for Al-Qaeda training camps and fighters will destabilise the region. The AU plan has always been to send 8,000 soldiers but pledges of more troops have so far failed to materialise.