MOGADISHU, Aug 21, 2007 (AFP) - A civilian was killed and five others wounded Tuesday as the chaos of violence continued ravaging the Somali capital, where the government is facing a bloody insurgency, witnesses said.

A lone gunman killed the civilian in a restaurant in southern Mogadishu, one of the most volatile zones in the seaside capital, Abdullahi Ali Indhey, a witness, told AFP.

Five civilians were wounded in grenade explosions in the city's Blacksea district.

"A man threw hand grenade at a khat (mild narcotic) market where policemen were patrolling. It exploded and wounded five civilians," said Bashir Gani, a witness.

Two other grenade blasts rocked southern Mogadishu, but there were no reports of casualities.

Somali government forces backed by Ethiopian troops earlier this year defeated an Islamist militia which briefly controlled much of the country's south and central regions.

Since they wrested back control of Mogadishu in April, insurgents have switched to guerrilla tactics, carrying out daily hit-and-run shootings, roadside bomb and grenade attacks against government targets.

Home to about 10 million, Somalia disastrously collapsed after the 1991 ouster of dictator Mohamed Siad Barre paved the way for a bloody power scramble that has defied numerous efforts to restore peace.

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