MOGADISHU, Sept. 8 (Xinhua) -- At least four Somali soldiers were killed and four others injured Saturday in an al-Shabab attack at a checkpoint in southwestern region of Bay in Somalia, officials said.

A military commander who requested not to be identified told Xinhua the attack happened in the early hours of Saturday in Makuda village on the outskirts of Baidoa in Bay region.

"They (al-Shabab) attacked our forces and we responded in a heavy gun battle. We lost four soldiers during the fighting while four others were injured but we inflicted heavy casualties on them," the military official said.

Residents said there were huge blasts in early morning followed by gun fire in the area.

"We could hear heavy exchange of fire and blasts coming from the side of Makuda," Guled Abdullahi, a resident, said. "People said al-Shabab had attacked a check point manned by government forces.

The militant group al-Shabab has claimed responsibility for the attack saying it killed five soldiers and seized weapons. The group still controls large swathes of territory in the Bay and Bakol regions.

Meanwhile, unidentified warplanes conducted airstrikes in southern town of Jilib on Saturday in the latest strikes targeting senior al-Shabab commanders in the Horn of Africa nation.

Local residents reported hearing heavy assaults targeting members of the terror group near Jilib town, in Middle Jubba region. Enditem