Somali president's home attacked

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Insurgents have fired mortars at the Somali President Abdullahi Yusuf's residence in Mogadishu, a few hours after his arrival in the capital.

President Yusuf is unharmed but a boy died when some of the mortars landed on a house nearby.

A BBC correspondent says gun battles between Ethiopian troops and insurgents erupted soon after the attack.

Ethiopian troops intervened to help the Somali transitional government oust the Union of Islamic Courts in December.

Somali MPs on Monday voted for the government to relocate to Mogadishu from Baidoa its current seat.

Somalia enjoyed a six-month lull in the insecurity that has dogged the country for the past 16 years when the UIC was in power last year.

But attacks on interim government forces have increased in Mogadishu in recent weeks.

An African Union force is taking over from Ethiopian troops and so far 1,200 Ugandan soldiers have been deployed.

Tight security

The BBC's Mohamed Olad Hassan in Mogadishu says six mortars were fired at President Yusuf's residence - two hit the target and the other four landed outside.

President Yusuf arrived at the capital unannounced on Tuesday morning and tight security had been in place most of the day, he says.

Ethiopian tanks and government troops have sealed off the presidential palace following the attacks.

The president's spokesman, Hussein Mohamoud Hussein, said the attacks are designed to show the transitional government cannot control the city.

Dozens of people have been killed during insurgent attacks which are on the rise in Mogadishu.

On Sunday, Deputy Defence Minister Salad Ali Jelle announced plans to forcefully disarm residents in the capital.

He said some 4,000 newly trained government soldiers will pacify the city, which is awash with guns, in 30 days. The interim government ministers are expected to start relocating to the capital next week following the approval by parliament.