About six people have been killed in Somalia after mortars landed on a refugee camp near the presidential palace in Mogadishu, officials say.

A family of four were among those killed, a witness told the AFP news agency. It is not clear who fired the mortars but last week Islamist group al-Shabab staged a suicide attack near the presidential palace.

Al-Shabab controls many southern areas but is losing territory.

The al-Qaeda-linked group is under attack from Ethiopian forces in the west, Kenya to the south and was forced out of Mogadishu last year.

"A father, mother and two of their children have all died after a mortar shell smashed into their hut, and another round killed two other civilians," Abdiwahid Mohamed told AFP.

Paddy Ankunda, a spokesman for the African Union force supporting the UN-backed government, told Reuters news agency that about six civilians had been killed but no mortars had landed in the presidential palace.

The government only controls the capital but last week started its first advance beyond the city limits.

The country has been racked by fighting since its last effective national government was toppled 21 years ago.

Source;bbc