Government forces in northern Somalia's stable Puntland region clashed with militants near Galgala town again, Radio Garowe reports.

Friday's clashes erupted after a group of militants attacked Puntland forces guarding a makeshift base at Madashon town, formerly a militant training base seized by Puntland forces earlier this week. Madashon is located 20km west of Galgala, the militants' former stronghold now under Puntland government control.

The militants, led by Mohamed Said Atom, who is on a U.N. Security Council watch-list, have been the target of a Puntland government offensive since last week.

At least 9 people were killed during the clashes, including two Puntland soldiers and 7 militants, according to security sources.

The fighting erupted after the militants opened fire on Puntland forces guarding the Madashon compound, sparking a deadly firefight where the militant attack was repelled and "many militants" were killed.

The militants are hiding out in a hilly forested area, as Puntland forces continue to hunt down them down.

Puntland's government has accused the militants of ties to Al Qaeda-linked Al Shabaab insurgents in southern Somalia, who are fighting to topple the Western-backed TFG in Mogadishu led by President Sheikh Sharif Ahmed.

Last week, the militants lost their main base at Galgala after government forces seized the town. Puntland officials say the Galgala militants take orders from Al Shabaab and are responsible for bombings and assassinations in Bossaso, Puntland's commercial capital along the Gulf of Aden.

Puntland declared regional autonomy under Federal Somalia in 1998 and has been relatively stable since. The region has a functioning government, with a civil service and elections, and its own security forces to uphold the law.