Islamist insurgents in Somalia's war-torn capital Mogadishu launched three separate attacks overnight Monday and into Tuesday morning, including a bold attack on the home of a military commander.

Insurgents armed with grenades and assault rifles attacked the home of Col. Ahmed Shani, a senior military official, in Mogadishu' s Medina district around 3am local time.

At least three people - including two of Col. Shani's armed guards - were killed in the gunfight. Witnesses said that the soldiers killed one insurgents and wounded two others.

Early Tuesday, rebels attacked the ex-pasta factory in north Mogadishu, where Ethiopian soldiers are based.

The violence sparked when insurgents launched mortars at the Ethiopian army base, but the fighting soon transformed into face-to-face combat on city streets, according to residents.

Ethiopian troops based at the former pasta factory also launched artillery shells, some of which hit residential homes and reportedly wounded at least three civilians.

In a separate attack, the home of Somali soldiers in Hodan district was attacked by insurgents, who killed one soldier inside and wounded two others.

Somali troops stationed at the Villa Somalia presidential compound rushed to the scene, but witnesses said the attackers fled by the time reinforcements arrived.

A bloody insurgency has raged in Somalia since early 2007, when Ethiopian troops invaded the country to protect the weak interim government and Islamist rebels vowed to wage a guerrilla war until Ethiopian forces leave Somali soil.