The Somali National Army (SNA) on Saturday killed a senior Al-Shabaab commander in an operation near Beledweyne town in Hiiraan region, central Somalia, said a local official.

Beledweyne Deputy Commissioner for Security Affairs, Mohamed Ibrahim Abdullahi, told reporters that the commander of the Islamist group was shot dead during heavy fighting between the army and the militants.

"SNA conducted operation in the outskirts of Beledweyne this morning where our forces killed Abdi Aden, a terrorist commander for military operations," Abdullahi said.

The Somali army, alongside the Africa Union peacekeeping force, has intensified the fight against Al-Shabaab, killing a number of militants in recent days, although the militants are still able to stage periodic attacks, mostly in the capital Mogadishu.

Source : XINHUA