Local Editor

Dozens had been killed in Somalia after al-Shabab gunmen ambushed an army convoy, officials and local elders said Thursday, the latest battles with the al-Qaeda-linked insurgents.

Al-Shabab fighters launched attacks on the army convoy near the village of Tulo-Barwao in the southwestern Gedo district of Somalia on Wednesday, a region bordering Ethiopia and Kenya, sparking intense gun battles.

Government officials put the toll at 32 al-Shabab and 11 government soldiers killed, while the al-Shabab said the only casualties were 19 government troops. Local elder Abdulahi Halane said around 30 people were killed in total.

It was not possible to independently verify the toll.

"The fighting was very heavy and 32 enemy Shabab fighters, including senior commanders, were killed," said Nur Mohammad Burale, a local government official. "We lost 11 soldiers, and 16 others were wounded."

Al-Shebab militants claimed responsibility for the attack and indicated that their forces "carried out a successful ambush against a military convoy transporting senior apostate officials, killing 19".

The al-Shabab is fighting to overthrow the internationally-backed government in Mogadishu, and still controls large parts of the rural south. The insurgents launch regular attacks even in the heart of government areas in the capital.

Government and African Union troops last month launched a fresh offensive targeting al-Shabab strongholds in southern Somalia.

Source: News Agencies, Edited by website team