Sawt Falasteen - Somalia capital rocked by gunfire and fighting overnight

President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud plunged Somalia into a fresh political crisis in mid-May after announcing a one-year extension of his term, which had been due to expire on May 15.

The opposition and regional leaders have rejected the move and demonstrations against it were due to take place in Mogadishu on Thursday.

But as opposition leaders came to the city ahead of the protests on Wednesday, clashes broke out and continued sporadically through the night, according to AFP journalists and witnesses in the area.

"We did not sleep throughout the night because of sporadic gunfire," said Xalimo Salad, a resident of Mogadishu's Howl Wadaag district adding that "more intense gunfight broke out" on Thursday morning.

"We have seen federal government forces deploying reinforcements," he said.

Police said they were conducting a "large-scale security operation" against "heavily armed militias who launched mortar attacks on some neighbourhoods of the capital".

Former prime minister Hassan Ali Khaire said he had been attacked by government forces on Wednesday after relocating from his base in the heavily fortified green zone around the airport to his city residence, in order to take part in the protests.

In a post on social media on Thursday he said the president's forces had "directed a sustained and indiscriminate military assault with the apparent objective of killing me".

There was no immediate word on casualties as of Thursday morning, and by 9:30 am the fighting had subsided as the government and opposition entered negotiations, according to sources.

A security analyst, who asked not to be named, confirmed to AFP the violence had spread since last night and had "escalated this morning".

"Mortars and heavy calibre weapons being used, civilian casualties in some areas," he said.

International observers have expressed concern, with the US embassy in Mogadishu calling the violence "reckless" and urging dialogue.

A joint statement from the EU and UN missions and British embassy said the clashes were "deeply concerning".

- Overnight violence -

Late Wednesday, an AFP journalist filmed panicked residents in the Howl Wadaag district near his home, with loud gunshots heard in the background.

Witnesses told AFP they saw armed opposition forces clashing with Somali police.

Gunfire was also reported near the residence of former president Sharif Sheikh Ahmed, close to the popular Lido Beach area, according to witnesses.

The president has been attempting to move Somalia towards democratic elections, replacing a system based around clan elders.

Mohamud argues he was given an extra year in the presidency when a new constitution was passed by parliament in March that set the framework for polls.

But with the country deeply divided between rival clans, and much of it under the control of Islamist insurgent group Al-Shabaab, there has been little progress on organising elections beyond a few localised pockets.

Opposition and regional leaders have strongly opposed Mohamud's plan, seeing it as an attempt to centralise power.

B.Khalifa--SF-PST