Mogadishu — At least 4 combatants were killed in an ambush attack by Al shabab militants on Somali government forces in Mogadishu on Sunday, hours after Somali president named Abdi Farah Shirdon, a political newcomer as the new PM for the fledgling government,reports said.

The attack happened at a government military base located in Kahda neighbourhood in southern Mogadishu on Sunday, and both rival sides used heavy and small weapons that could be heard in the early hours on Sunday, according to the locals.

"The fighting was big and intensified across the area. Artillery fire and rocked propelled grenades (RPGs) were used during the combat between Somali forces and Al shabab militants. Four soldiers on both sides dead in the skirmish," a resident told Shabelle Media Network.

No official from both sides was available to reach on the phone for comments.