At least 3 Al-Shabaab militants killed in central Somalia

At least three Al-Shabaab militants were killed on Monday in a heavy battle in a village in Hiran region, central Somalia, police have said.

Police officer Ali Kheylshe told Xinhua that Al-Shabaab fighters attempted to attack Ethiopian and Somali forces who were travelling at Nur Fanah village in Hiran region, but the attack was repulsed by the joint forces.

"We have managed to kill at least three of them (Al-Shabaab), forcing the rest of the attackers to flee the scene," Kheylshe said.

According to the officer, the joint forces were vigilant at moment of the attack, denying they were casualties on them.

"When we use the roads, sometimes a few number of militants are trying to attack us, but they cannot achieve their goal," he added.

Residents nearby said that there was huge battle between the two sides, which lasted for some hours.

"The fighting continued for some hours in our village. We later heard that Al-Shabaab ambushed Ethiopian and Somali troops traveling at the village," local villager Muse Sheikh told Xinhua.

The Al-Qaida linked group Al-Shabaab, which is battling to topple the Somali federal government, has lost strongholds in southern and central Somalia, though the group still is able to launch attacks in Somalia and neighboring countries, like Kenya. Endit