MOGADISHU, Somalia, December 11, 2007 – An explosion followed by a 30-minute gunbattle killed at least five people in the Somali capital Tuesday.

Such violence has forced thousands to flee, and aid workers on Tuesday described severe malnutrition among those trying to escape the city.

Tuesday's violence began when a roadside bomb struck a government convoy near Mogadishu's Bakara Market, killing three Somali soldiers, said Sharif Omar, a Mogadishu resident who witnessed the attack.

"After the blast, I saw the bodies of three soldiers being dragged out of the car," Omar said, adding that another soldier was seriously injured.

Minutes later, government soldiers fought for 30 minutes with 20 gunmen, killing two civilians, said another witness, Mohamed Ahmed Garun.

Somalia faces what the United Nations says is the biggest humanitarian crisis in Africa. The country's fragile government is battling an Islamic insurgency that has killed thousands of people this year.

On Tuesday, the international aid group Medecins Sans Frontieres said the road leading out of Mogadishu was a scene of desperation.

"In the past two weeks, more than 250 severely malnourished children, including 80 suffering from severe acute malnutrition, were admitted to MSF feeding centers," the group, also known as Doctors Without Borders, said in a statement. "Needs for water, food, shelter and medical care are rapidly increasing."

Source: The Associated Press