Somali forces and their allies killed at least 100 al-Shabab members during fighting in the central province of Hiran, the Somali Defense Ministry said Friday.  

Defense Ministry spokesperson Abdullahi Ali Anod said the clashes happened on Thursday in the villages of Garas Magan and El Hareeri. 

Somali Defense Minister Abdullahi Mohamed Noor said the areas surrounding El Hareeri have been seized by the government following the fighting.    

Al-Shabab claimed it killed dozens of members of the Somali military during the fighting. The Islamist group also said the US launched an airstrike during the battle, killing several of its militants.

The Somali government launched a new offensive in August against al-Shabab with the help of clans known as Macawisley. The United States has also aided the Somali government in its anti-terrorism efforts. 

Clashes following twin deadly bombings in Mogadishu 

The heavy losses by al-Shabab come after the group claimed responsibility for multiple deadly car bombings in the capital of Mogadishu over the weekend. The attacks, which occurred in front of the Ministry of Education building in the center of the city, killed at least 120 people. 

The twin bombings on Saturday were the worst incident the Horn of Africa nation has witnessed since 2017. Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud called on the international community to send medical help to the country following the attacks.

Al-Shabab, which is linked to the international terrorist organization al-Qaeda, first emerged in 2006. The group aims to overthrow the Somali government and replace it with an Islamic theocracy based on the principles of Sharia law.  

wd/es (Reuters, dpa)