Mogadishu — Al-Shabaab claimed on Monday that it had seized the strategic village of Teedaan in central Somalia's Hiiraan region after two days of fighting with government troops and allied clan militias.

In a statement released through its media channels, the Islamist militant group said it had driven Somali government forces from the area during clashes on Saturday and Sunday and captured weapons, military vehicles and other equipment.

The group also claimed to have killed 41 government soldiers and allied local fighters, including officers, and said it had seized a technical vehicle mounted with an anti-aircraft gun along with other military supplies.

Al-Shabaab further said part of the casualties resulted from a suicide bombing that it claimed took place about five kilometres (three miles) from Teedaan during the fighting.

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The claims could not be independently verified, and the Somali federal government and military authorities had not immediately commented on the reported clashes or the group's assertions.

The fighting is part of ongoing confrontations between Somali government forces, backed by allied Ma'awisley clan fighters in Hiiraan, and Al-Shabaab, which has intensified attacks in parts of central Somalia despite sustained military operations against the group.

Teedaan is considered a strategic location in eastern Hiiraan, linking the regions of Hiiraan, Middle Shabelle and Galgaduud. Control of the area could affect the movement of military forces and supplies across the three regions.