The United Nations refugee agency in Kenya says the first 250 Somali refugees have begun the journey to take them to new homes away from the volatile Somali border.

The UNHCR has been preparing to take the refugees from the border town of Mandera to an established camp at Dadaab and last week received permission from the Kenyan authorities to go ahead with the transfer.

The refugees, who are in a convoy of lorries, will spend the night at the town of Wajir, before proceeding to Dadaab on Thursday.

The move came as two days of fighting in Southern Somalia left 27 dead and at least 45 wounded.

The fighting in the southern region of Middle Shabelle between forces loyal to the interim government, and the warlord, Mohamed Dhere, began on Monday.

A BBC correspondent in Mogadishu says that Mohamed Dhere's forces seem to have been victorious in the clashes.

The UNHCR is only moving refugees who have registered voluntarily to go. At least 2,500 refugees will remain at Mandera, but the UNHCR's Emmanuel Nyabera said it was prepared to extend the operation if more agree to move.

More than 10,000 Somalis have fled into northern Kenya since April to escape an escalation in fighting between militias and forces loyal to the transitional national government.

Relief and medical agencies say that conditions in camps are Mandera are bad and malnutrition is rife. The UNHCR says the security situation in the Mandera area prevents the efficient distribution of food and the registration of refugees.