Somali President Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed appealed for more support from international community in its fight against the insurgent group, as insurgent mortars killed 10 people in Mogadishu, Radio Garowe reports.

"It is quite impractical to expect Somalia alone to contain the evil Al Qaeda-Al Shabab alliance as Somalia is emerging from 20 years of destruction and chaotic political environment," Sheikh Ahmed said.

He said it was unrealistic to expect the forces of an ill-equipped government to battle the powerful al-Qaida-linked group al-Shabaab.

AMISOM peacekeepers in Mogadishu

"Since terrorism has become a borderless threat, the Somali Government is renewing its plea for urgent international support," he noted

The appeal came on when Al-Shabaab launched a massive offensive aimed at toppling his interim government.

A week-long Al-Shabaab offensive against the UN-backed transitional government and AU troops in Mogadishu has led to the death of more than 100 people, mainly civilians while 250 others were wounded.

Four peacekeepers killed

At least four Ugandan peacekeepers were killed on Monday when insurgents fired mortars at the presidential palace.

"A mortar hit part of the palace which is used by our troops as base, killing four Ugandan soldiers and injuring eight others," said AMISOM spokesman, Maj. Barigye Bahoku.

It is not clear if any Somali government official were hurt by the mortar.

Currently, the AU peacekeeping force, whose main contributors are Uganda and Burundi, has about 6,300 troops on the ground --- and are struggling to overcome Al Shabaab, a self-declared Al-Qaeda affiliate.

President Sharif's administration controls only a small bit of the capital, Mogadishu, while Al-Shabaab controls most regions in southern Somalia and most of the traditional capital, Mogadishu.

GAROWE ONLINE