MOGADISHU, May 17 (Xinhua) -- Somali National Army (SNA) on Thursday killed seven al-Shabab militants in clashes in Somalia's southern region of Gedo, officials said on Friday.

Osman Abdi Qorah, commander of SNA unit 10 in Gedo region told journalists that al-Shabab militants launched an attack on their base in Garbaharey town in Somalia's southern region of Gedo.

"They (al-Shabab) attacked us repeatedly, we have been fighting for three hours, but we finally defeated them killing seven of them," the official said, adding that they lost two soldiers during the battle and five others sustained injuries.

Residents said they got shocked when heavy fighting erupted in the town.

"Al-Shabab fighters attacked on a base used by government soldiers, the two sides exchanged heavy weapons, but we have no further details," a local resident Mulki Hassan told Xinhua by phone.

Government forces backed by African Union Mission in Somalia (Amisom) have intensified operations on al-Shabab militants in central and southern Somalia conducting consecutive offensives to flush the militants out of those regions. Enditem

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