Bardere — Airstrikes on a town held by A Qaeda-affiliated Islamists in south-western Somalia have killed at least three people, including women and children, wounding a another, Witnesses said.

Residents said two unknown fighter planes bombarded militant bases in the town of Bardere located in Gedo region, where Al shabab militants are still controlling.

"At least three innocent people are known to have been killed and several others wounded after military jets carrying out bombing raids on Islamist controlled south-western Somalia town of Bardere," a resident said, adding that the situation is very tense and locals are fearful.

Reports say that Islamist training camps were also hit by the bombing but no casualty figures are available as Islamists were preventing people from the scene of the attack.

Meanwhile on Saturday, Somalia's Al-Shabab militants vacated from the port city of Kismayo, the last and major bastion for the militants in the past three years.