Somali National Army (SNA) forces killed 18 Al-Shabaab militants in Beledweyne.
The government troops killed the soldiers in a planned operation that they carried out in Buq-Aqable village.
Buq-Aqable lies roughly 90kms to the south of Beledweyne, which is the provincial capital of Hiiraan.
General Odawa Yusuf Rageh, the SNA Chief, confirmed the operation and the casualties during a media interview.
He said that the operation took place on Thursday, September 15.