At least 3 people have been killed and 6 others injured in heavy fighting that rocked Somalia’s restive capital of Mogadishu, witnesses.

The fighting erupted on Saturday night in Mogadishu’s Daynile neighbourhood where Al-Shabaab fighters carried out surprise attack on government forces, claiming the lives of civilians.

“Heavy mortar shells landed at our area, it was terrible night,” said a women who recently fled to the district.

Col. Adan Kalmoy, a spokesman for Somali military said his forces have seized rebel areas in the fighting.

"Government forces are in Daynile, and it’s the first that the forces are in the district. We are planning to take over the security of entire districts,” he said.

Al-Shabaab is yet to comment about the fighting, which is part of clashes that involved forces recruited in Djibouti that are deployed in parts of the restive capital in recent weeks.

GAROWE ONLINE