India, June 5 -- Supporters of opposition political figures and State security forces fought in armed clashes on Thursday that erupted in Somalia's capital, Mogadishu, on Wednesday evening ahead of a planned anti-Government demonstration.

No official casualty figures were immediately available from the violence that prompted calls for restraint from the United Nations and the United States, as the Government and opposition traded blame for the violence. Residents reported heavy gunfire and explosions as fighting broke out in several neighbourhoods on Wednesday. "We heard heavy weapons fire, and people were fleeing their homes," said Abdullahi Mohamed, who lives in the city's Howlwadaag district.

"Many families left the area looking for ...