Reports from Somalia's capital say dozens of residents have fled the city Tuesday after a night of deadly violence.
At least three people were killed in exchanges of mortar shells and artillery that began in Mogadishu late Monday.
Witnesses say unidentified insurgents fired mortars at the seaport and other government targets around the city. Ethiopian troops who support the interim government responded with artillery.
The government has struggled to contain violence in the capital since driving out a rival Islamist movement late last year with the help of Ethiopia.
On Monday, African Union peacekeepers took control of the city's port so that workers could unload military equipment that the AU troops will use in efforts to pacify the city.
The United Nations recently said that some 40,000 Mogadishu residents fled the city last month to escape the fighting.
The insurgents are believed to be a mix of diehard Islamists along with clan members who challenge the government's authority.
Some information for this report was provided by AFP, AP and Reuters.
