MOGADISHU, Somalia 

Four soldiers were killed and seven others injured in clashes with the al-Shabaab terror group after their attack was repulsed on Friday by the Somali army, with the assistance of foreign troops stationed in the country in the Lower Shabelle region, which killed 18 terrorists.

The Somali National Army (SNA) and the Ugandan People's Defense Force (UPDF), which are part of the African Union Support and Stabilization Mission in Somalia (AUSSOM), have repulsed an al-Shabaab terrorist attack in the Sabiib and Canoole areas of the Lower Shabelle region, killing 18 terrorists, according to a Defense Ministry statement.

“The national forces, who were on high alert and fully prepared, responded swiftly and effectively to the assault, successfully thwarting the terrorists' attempt to penetrate the area,” read the statement.

It said pursuit operations are ongoing to locate the remaining terrorists.

The ministry reported that four SNA soldiers were killed and seven others were injured during the operation.

It noted that the Somali forces received vital support from the country's international security partners through aerial strikes that "inflicted heavy damage on Al-Shabaab militants."

After nearly two months of intense fighting, the Somali army, backed by AUSSOM forces, reclaimed the strategic villages of Anole and Sabid from al-Shabaab terrorists in late June of this year.

Anole and Sabid, located in the southwest province of Lower Shabelle, are strategic military assets that act as a vital link.

Al-Shabaab, which has waged an insurgency against the Somali government for more than 16 years, regularly targets security forces, government officials, and civilians.