Brazzaville, June 11: Fierce fighting between militia and government troops continued in the republic of Congo overnight, with the sound reports reaching the Kenyan capital Nairobi said today.

The sky above Brazzaville's international airport was regularly lit up by exploding shells as the two sides battled for control of the airport in a fierce conflict that was sparked off last Thursday, a British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) journalist living close to the embattled airport reported.Battles between forces supporting President Pascallisouba and militia warriors loyal to former Marxist ruler Denis Sassou Nguesso appeared yesterday to be spilling into the Bacongo district that has so far been relatively calm.

Three large shells landed in Bacongo district, under the control of Brazzaville mayor Bernard Kolelas's ``ninja'' militia. The Ninjas have so far stayed out of the fighting while Kolelas tries to mediate.Kolelas's spokesman Hellot Mampouya told Reuters yesterday: ``We can see the shells come from the presidency because we are just 500 metres away.''A US military plane flew out 94 people, including 30 Americans to Libreville, Gabon although Washington said it had not yet decided whether the remaining Americans needed rescue.

The C-130 plane had brought in a dozen US military communications specialists, security troops and planners to make an on-the-spot assessment of the dangers to foreign residents.

Pentagon spokesman Ken Bacon told reporters there were believed to be some 60 Americans in Brazzaville including about 15 workers at the embassy, which remained open despite the fighting.

Fighting raged on Tuesday close to the international airport, grounding a charter that was to ferry people to Kinshasa, capital of neighbouring Congo.Residents said scores of bloated bodies lay uncollected in the streets. Looting had spread from other districts to the capital's central commercial area, they added.

Copyright © 1997 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.