Mogadishu, Somalia — The Somali National Army (SNA) on Sunday foiled a suicide car bomb attack on a military base in the Bari-ujeed region in central Somalia.

Guriel District Commissioner Farah Abdi Moalim told reporters on Sunday that the forces defeated al-Shabab militants in the fierce fighting that left five soldiers dead.

"The SNA and local forces inflicted heavy casualties on the terrorists who fled the scene, and the joint forces are still pursuing them at the moment. I can confirm that the five soldiers were killed, and seven others sustained injuries during the fighting," Moalim said.

He added that the forces had a prior intelligence report over the group's intention to carry out attacks on SNA bases in the region, saying the army is in full control of the bases now.

Al-Shabab militants claimed responsibility for the attack on the SNA base in the region, saying its fighters killed 61 soldiers and recovered six vehicles.

The government has been waging a war against the al-Shabab militants since President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud came into power in May 2022.

But the extremist group still controls some parts of rural southern and central Somalia and continues to carry out high-profile attacks in the capital of Mogadishu and elsewhere despite increased onslaught by government forces.