Latest: Fighting continued through the night as the extremists fought heavily-armed soldiers.

Britain moved to whip up international support for a new military and political strategy in Somalia to intensify pressure on al-Shabab militants and try to pull the failed Horn of Africa nation back from the grip of pirates and terrorists.

FIGHTING erupted yesterday in Mogadishu between government troops and al-Shabaab insurgents a day after the rebels said they were leaving the Somali capital and the government declared it controlled most of the city.

Somalia is more dangerous for civilians than Afghanistan or Iraq, a group that works to prevent civilian deaths said.