MOGADISHU, June 3 (Xinhua) -- Somali forces on Monday killed two al-Shabab militants and injured three others in an offensive in the country's southern region of Gedo, officials said.
Abdi Aziz Ali Omar, deputy commander of Somali national forces unit 49 told journalists that the forces launched an attack on al-Shabab's base in Bardhere town in Gedo region.
"Our forces launched an attack this morning on the militants in Ali Hared and Jungle villages in Bardhere, we took the control of the two villages and inflicted heavy casualties on the extremists, killing two of them and injured three others," Ali said, adding that their forces are pursuing the remnant of the militants.
Residents said there was fierce fight between government forces and the militants in Bardhere town.
"Government forces attacked the militants in Ali Hared town, the two sides exchanged heavy weapons but government forces are in the town now and the militants withdrew from it," Awil Hasan, a local resident told Xinhua by phone.
The offensive came three weeks after Somali forces killed 18 militants in an operation in Somalia's southern region of Middle Juba.
Somali forces backed by African Union Mission in Somalia have intensified operations on al-Shabab militants in central and southern Somalia to flush out the militants from those regions.
