Mogadishu — The situation in the areas where the fighting between the Somali government forces backed by Ethiopian troops and insurgents is reportedly calm Tuesday although the sounds of sporadic gun fire and rocket explosions could be heard in the volatile city of Mogadishu.

More than 35 people, most of them civilians, were killed in yesterday's mortar and rocket exchanges alone. Shabelle reporter, Hirabe, in the north of the capital where the fighting still rages infrequently says shelling halted around 7:30 PM local time last night.

"Jamhuriah, a neighborhood in north Mogadishu was the worst area hit by more than 50 rockets fired by Ethiopian troops based in the presidential palace and former Somalia Defense Ministry in south of the capital," Hirabe said.

In a news conference held in Mogadishu Monday, the country's Prime Minister, Ali Mohammed Gedi, said the battle continues between government troops backed by Ethiopian troops and international terrorists linked to "al-Qaeda".

"The Somali national forces supported by Ethiopian and the African Union troops successfully seized explosives and weapons that would be used by the terrorists. The Ugandan troops captured anti-aircraft missiles from the outskirt of Mogadishu international airport. The terrorists were planning to shoot down airplanes. Until we wipe out the terrorists from Somalia, the fighting will go on," said Mr. Gedi.

The prime minister's remarks were, however, contradicted by the spokesman of Mogadishu's major Hawiye clan, Ahmed Derie, who said the prime minister spoke pointlessly. "He repeatedly used the word 'terrorists', which makes no sense when it comes to the real situation in Mogadishu. The rebel forces fighting with the government and Ethiopian troops in the capital are from Hawiye clan and they are clearly opposing the presence of the merciless Ethiopian troops in the country," he said.

Mr. Derie also admitted that a ceasefire deal which was being brokered by the clan leaders ended in failure.

"The Ethiopian officers failed to positively respond to a ceasefire agreement the clan leaders and other Somali traditional elders were trying to create between the Ethiopians and Somalis fighting in the capital, but I assure you now that the effort remained unsuccessful," he told Shabelle on Tuesday morning after he contacted the station.

Meanwhile More than 16 people were killed and dozens more were wounded in the port city of Kismayu, 500 km south of the capital Mogadishu, Monday after a heavy gun battle between two rival clans, within the Somali government, took place in the town.

Shabelle reporter in Kismayu, Mohammed Ahmed, said the fighting stopped around 2:00 PM local time as the town fell into the hands of Marehan militias.

Marehan clan accused rival clan, Majegten that it invaded the town. In a press conference the clan held in Kismayu yesterday after the fight, the clan leaders said they were still in support of the transitional government, but would not allow that rival clan, Mjegten, to be in control of the resourceful city.

Somalia's Defense Minister, Col. Barre Aden Shire Hirale, hails from Marehan clan, while Somalia president, Abdulahi Yusuf Ahmed, hails from Majegten.