At least 20 al-Shabaab fighters have been killed in clashes with Hizbul Islam fighters in the suburban Afmadow Town located 120 kilometers to the south of Kismayo.

The clashes left dozens injured while 21 others, including an al-Shabaab commander, were captured in Afmadow.

Al-Shabaab fighters launched an attack on Afmadow near Kismayo on Tuesday morning, a Press TV correspondent reported.

Hizbul Islam fighters also blocked roads five kilometers south of the town.

Fighting between Hizbul Islam and al-Shabaab erupted last week over control of the key southern port of Kismayo, where al-Shabaab rulers established an administration independent of Hizbul Islam.

Both rival factions have been fighting jointly since May to topple the Somali interim government in the capital, Mogadishu.