Ethiopian tanks guarding a Somali government base in Mogadishu opened fire today in a clash with insurgents.
The base has been the scene of frequent clashes between insurgents and the government and its Ethiopian military allies.
Local residents said a gun battle had also broken out in the northern Ramadhan neighbourhood.
Hundreds of residents - mainly women and children - could be seen fleeing the fighting, pushing their belongings on donkey carts.
The gunfights followed one of the bloodiest days in the seaside capital since government and Ethiopian troops seized the city from a militant Islamist group just before the New Year.
Yesterday, residents dragged the corpses of what appeared to be government soldiers through the streets before burning them, after gunmen opposed to the government and its allies fought gun battles that killed at least 16 people.