MOGADISHU, Sept 10 (Reuters) - Mortar bombs fired by suspected Islamist insurgents killed a woman and her three children in Mogadishu in the first such attacks in the Somali capital in weeks, witnesses said on Monday.

Several other people were injured in the shelling late on Sunday, which residents said appeared to be aimed at the hilltop presidential palace, but struck residential areas instead.

"One of the three mortars landed on a home near ours and killed a mother and her three children," said resident Fardawasa Abdi, adding that the children were aged 6 to 8.

"Their father was seriously wounded in the throat and their grandmother was also wounded in the face."

Residents said the mortars hit two other homes, causing more injuries.

Somalia's interim government is struggling to impose its authority on the Horn of Africa nation since it routed an Islamist movement from the capital over the New Year.

Remnants of the sharia courts group are now blamed for an Iraq-style insurgency of assassinations and roadside bombs targeting security forces and their Ethiopian military allies.

"Insurgents fired the mortars to terrorise civilians. They did not mean to target the presidential palace but wanted to terrorise people," said Ali Nur, a senior police officer.

He said the bombs were fired from a neighbourhood more than 2 kilometres (1.25 miles) from the Villa Somalia palace.

AlertNet news is provided by