(Sh. M. Network)--Witnesses say battle looms in villages around the main port city of Kismayo, the last major stronghold of Somalia's Al Qaeda-linked Al shabab militants in south Somalia.Somali national army and their allied African Union forces, primarily Kenyan army attacked with mortars and machine guns on Al shabab controlled Birta-dheer village, Located on the outskirts of Kismayo, according to the reports.
"The combat has been heavy with both sides exchanging mortar and machine-guns in the early morning hours on Friday, a witness in the area said under anonymity.
It was not immediately clear if there had been any casualties from the battle against Al shabab fighters in Birta-dheer area, south of Somalia.
So far there has been no comment from Somali and Al shabab officials about the fighting.
Artillery strikes, launched from Kenyan Navy warships, hit areas north of the city's port and its airport last week, and there were reports of extra Kenyan fighter jets, warships patrolling the sky above and the sea of Kismayo,500 Km south of Mogadishu.