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MOGADISHU (Reuters) - An exchange of mortar shells between Somali government forces and Islamist insurgents killed at least nine civilians and injured 14 others, a human rights group said on Monday.

The clashes started late on Sunday and continued on Monday morning, the Elman Peace and Human Rights Organisation said.

"These casualties are from the overnight shelling. We are still monitoring Monday's casualties. The shelling was terrible," said Ali Yasin Gedi, Elman's vice chairman.

Residents said government shells targeted houses in the north of the city used by hardline al Shabaab rebels, who this month declared their loyalty to al Qaeda.

"We saw al Shabaab carrying their dead and injured in a minibus. But we do not know the exact figure of the deaths," one resident, Hassan Nur, told Reuters.

"The government shells almost levelled houses that housed local and foreign al Shabaab people."

Government and al Shabaab officials could not be immediately reached for comment.

Somalia has not had an effective central government for close to two decades and the international community and neighbouring countries are worried about the threat posed by al Shabaab insurgents now controlling a large part of the country and fighting its fragile government.