On Tuesday, Somalia's Al-Shabaab organization attacked an African Union (AU) mission soldier camp in the Shabelle region of the country's central region, a local elder and the group said, adding that three civilians were killed in the crossfire.

The man, who lives in a nearby village, later stated that he witnessed two helicopters flying by and firing gunfire from them.

"We were awoken early in the morning by massive explosions, and the explosions occurred on the AU mission base. "An intense exchange of gunfire ensued," local elder Mohamed Nur told Reuters by phone from El Baraf, 130 kilometers north of Mogadishu's capital.

Al-Shabaab, which has been fighting the central government for years to establish its authority based on a strict interpretation of Islam's sharia law, claimed responsibility for the attack.

"The Mujahideen attacked an AU mission military base in El Baraf in the early hours of the morning," Al-Shabaab declared. "Following a fierce firefight, the Mujahideen overran the base and now control the entire facility."

A shopkeeper in El Baraf, Farah Hussein, told Reuters that helicopters were observed flying above the scene following the initial strike. "We heard gunshots and weapons being fired from helicopters," he told The Associated Press.

"AU forces are pursuing Al-Shabaab fighters in the forests. We are aware that three individuals were killed and five others were injured during the violence."

Shabelle and the AU mission officials were not immediately available for comment.

Al-Shabaab often conducts bombings and gun attacks in Mogadishu and elsewhere as part of its struggle against the central authority of the Horn of Africa country.

Additionally, it targets soldiers assigned to the African Union's peacekeeping mission.