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PRESS TV

Violent clashes in Somalia erupted between military forces and local fighters have claimed the lives of at least 17 people.

According to Press TV correspondent in the capital Mogadishu, at least 17 people, including seven soldiers, were killed in the ongoing violence on Saturday.

Meanwhile, the fighters claim they have launched attacks on two military bases, one of them belonging to the African Union forces.

The bloody clashes come hours after a bomb explosion killed a Mogadishu district official and two of his bodyguards earlier in the day. Police say the blast claimed the life of a civilian woman as well.

In a statement following the roadside bomb blast, the al-Shabab fighters claimed responsibility for the attack.

"Our bombs unit was responsible for the bomb that killed a senior official of the infidel government," read the statement, according to Reuters.

Mogadishu has witnessed several clashes in recent weeks owing to the government's pledge to reduce militant's capabilities.