By Aweys Yusuf and Abdi Sheikh
MOGADISHU (Reuters) - Somali President Abdullahi Yusufescaped unharmed on Sunday when suspected Islamist insurgentshit his presidential compound in Mogadishu with mortar bombsfor a second day, one of his aides said.
Witnesses said the shelling wounded at least five people. Apresidential aide told Reuters that Yusuf was safe and themortars did not land anywhere near his private quarters.
"Five mortars were fired at the president's house, one ofthem landed outside the gate of the palace wounding two womenand three men," witness Abdulahi Mohamed told Reuters by phone.
"Another fell inside while others exploded at the cornersof the palace."
Yusuf's interim government and its Ethiopian militaryallies are battling gunmen loyal to an Islamist movement thatruled Mogadishu and much of southern Somalia for six months in2006, before being ousted by the allied forces.
Residents in the coastal capital say the violence hasworsened in recent weeks with increased insurgent attacksagainst military positions and police stations.
A presidential spokesman blamed Saturday's shelling on theal-Shabab military wing of the sharia courts group.
Residents said insurgents killed an official in northMogadishu late on Saturday and hurled a grenade at a cinema inHodan district in the south.
"Four men armed with pistols shot dead Banadir's regionaldirector-general for public affairs while leaving a mosque inYaqshid on Saturday evening," Yaqshid district chair MuhidinHassan Jusus told Reuters by phone.
Suspected insurgents were blamed for a grenade attack on acinema that killed a young boy and forced others to scatter asthey were watching an English soccer match, witnesses said.
"The gunmen entered the cinema after the blast and begandestroying the television equipment. Insurgents warmed thecinema owners twice last week to close down the cinema,"witness Shafi Abdulahi told Reuters.
"We were watching an exciting football game betweenManchester United and Arsenal. I have never been scared likelast night. I've decided not to go to a cinema ever again."
(Editing by Katie Nguyen and Robert Woodward)