Mogadishu Sep 25 (IANS) At least 35 Al-Shabaab militants have been killed and several others injured after an exchange of fire between Somali national army backed by African Union forces and the militants in Somalia s Qoryoley town.

One Somali soldier was killed and two others injured during heavy fighting with the militants overnight Qoryoley Deputy Governor Abdi Ahmed Ali told reporters on Monday.

"Our forces killed 35 Al-Shabaab militants and injured several others after defeating the enemy who attacked the town " Ali said Xinhua news agency reported.
"We have collected their bodies to bury now."

"We had prior intelligence that the terrorists are going to attack us and this caused more casualties on the enemy side " he said.

Al-Shabaab has not yet commented on Ali s statement.

The group however claimed to have carried out mortar attacks on bases of the Somali national army and the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) near Barawo a town in the same region.

--IANS pgh/