Eleven Killed in Mogadishu Shelling

At least 11 people were killed in Mogadishu when rebels attacked the presidential palace with mortar bombs, prompting President Sheikh Sharif Ahmed’s guards to retaliate.

Media reports say Islamist rebels opened fire on the Villa Somalia, sparking off a battle with presidential guards that also injured 34 people.

Further reports say the death toll could rise because sporadic fighting is still going on.

Somalia has been in a state of instability and near-anarchy for the past 18 years, and international efforts to install an effective government have been subverted by radical Islamist groups led by Al Shabaab.