Four gov't soldiers killed in Al-Shabaab attack in SW Somalia: official

Four government soldiers were killed and six others injured in an attack by Al-Shabaab on Thursday in southwest Somalia's Gedo region.

Local official Ashor Geasey told Xinhua that the offensive began after militants from the Al-Shabaab attacked military positions of government forces in the region's Ged-Wayn district.

"We have managed to inflict heavy casualties among the attackers in the fighting which lasted several hours; we did not know the number of their dead," Gesey said, adding that four of their soldiers were killed and six others wounded.

Al-Shabaab later claimed responsibility, saying it killed 16 soldiers of government forces during the fighting, but local officials have denied.

Earlier on the day, the militant group raided the headquarters of the ongoing State Formation Conference in the town of Adado, central Somalia.

Eight of the attackers were killed, according to local authorities.

Al-Shabaab militants have reportedly vowed to step up attacks on government bases and African peacekeeping forces in Mogadishu during the holy month of Ramadan. Endi