Somali army kills 7 Al-Shabaab militants in central region

The Somali army killed seven Al-Shabaab militants during an operation in the east of Galgudud region in central Somalia on Tuesday evening, an army officer has said.

The army commander in Galgudud region, Col. Ahmed Mohamed, told reporters on Wednesday that the operation was well-planned and targeted the militants' base in the area.

"We conducted very successful operation at a terrorist base in Messagawa location east of this region, we destroyed the base completely," Mohamed said.

Eight other militants escaped with injuries, he said.

He did not reveal whether the militants inflicted any casualties on the army during the fighting.

The Somali army, supported by the African Union troops in Somalia, has been battling the Al-Shabaab Islamist group for years. The militants have been driven to rural areas in southern Somalia, but still frequently attack military and civilian targets in the country. Endit