Baidoa — At least three people dead and an unconfirmed number were wounded in a fierce fighting between Somali soldiers along with Ethiopian troops and Al shabab fighters in a village near Baidoa town, witnesses and officials said.

An attack on a convoy carrying Somali and Ethiopian troops in the central Somali village ofGoof-Gaduud by Islamist militant group Al Shabaab early on Wednesday has left three people dead, according to Somali military officials.

Goof-Gaduud village lays the near strategic town ofBaidoa, the provincial capital of Bay region of southernSomalia. TFG military commanders in the area claimed victory over the battle, saying they have killed 3 militants in the attack.

Al Shabaab still controls much of southern and centralSomalia, but is under increasing pressure from Somali, African Union forces in the south and Ethiopian forces in the west.