Witnesses in the southwestern Somali city of Baidoa say a gunman has shot and killed a member of parliament.

The witnesses say Mohammed Osman Maye was killed late Tuesday as he was leaving a mosque in Baidoa, where the Somali parliament meets.

In a statement posted Wednesday on its Web site, the Islamist militant group al-Shabab claimed responsibility for the killing. It said Maye was one of the staunchest supporters of Ethiopian Woyanne troops in Somalia.

The group says the killing should be a warning to other members of parliament.

Heavy fighting broke out today between Islamist insurgents and Ethiopian Woyanne-backed government troops in parts of the capital, Mogadishu. Deaths and injuries were reported, although casualty figures are not available.

Sources: AP and Reuters.