Mogadishu, May 16 (IANS): The Africa Union's peacekeeping mission in Somalia, Amisom, has said that its forces repulsed militants of the Al Qaeda-affiliated Al Shabaab who attempted to recapture two government bases in the country's southern region.

Amisom Sector One Commander, Brig. Gen. Sam Kavuma, said the forces successfully repulsed the militants in the Lower Shabelle region in the early hours of Friday and they are now on the run, Xinhua news agency reported.

"The already weakened militants were unable to take on the government forces and suffered massive defeat," Kavuma said in a brief statement issued in Mogadishu.

The Amisom commander said the Al Qaeda-allied militants tried to attack Awddhegle and Mubarak towns but were overpowered by government forces.

He said the militants were desperately looking for operational bases after being pushed out of all their strongholds. The two towns are located about 75 km west of Somalia's capital, Mogadishu.

Residents had earlier said that militants armed with crude weapons attacked positions manned by the Somali government in the town of Awdhegle forcing the government troops to flee.

"The Islamists attacked the town at dawn this morning and forced government troops to flee after fighting that lasted two hours" Abshir Ali, a resident of the town told Xinhua.

However, Al Shabaab radio claimed that the insurgents killed at least 10 government soldiers before they took control of the two neighbouring towns of Awdhegle and Mubarak

"We have killed at least 10 apostate soldiers and confiscated both ammunition and battle wagons," said the rebel commander who spoke to the group's Radio Andulus.

The fall of Awdhegle and Mubarak could have been a terrible blow to the Somali government which is now struggling to form interim federal states in the south and central Somalia including the Lower Shabelle region.