Residents of Somalia's capital Mogadishu say clashes between rival militias Saturday killed at least 10 people and wounded at least 40 others.
Witnesses say civilians including women and children were among the casualties.
The fighting was sparked by a territorial dispute between gunmen loyal to Mogadishu's Islamic courts and fighters allied with local warlords.
Somalia has been without an effective central government since 1991, when warlords overthrew former President Mohamed Siad Barre.
The country's interim government, set up in 2004, has been hampered by disputes between the president and parliament speaker and their allies.
The interim parliament is scheduled to hold its first meeting on Somali soil next Sunday after previous meetings in Kenya.
Some information for this report was provided by AFP, AP and Reuters.