Somali forces on Friday killed three al-Shabab militants in a fierce gun battle on the outskirts of Bosaso town in northern Somalia, an official said on Saturday.

Mohamed Gedi Salah, district commissioner of Af-Urur told journalists that the militants attacked an army base in Af-Urur village but the forces repulsed them.

“There was an intense gunfight between the army and the militants in front of our base in the town, but we finally held them back and killed three of them during the gun battle,” Salah said.

He added that they lost two of their soldiers in the stiff confrontation.