The attack took place in a village about 120 kilometers west of Somali capital Mogadishu early morning Tuesday, when many students of Islamic schools in Somalia attend class.

Jesow said that soldiers from the African Union Mission for Somalia (AMISOM) were attacked by militants earlier.

But other residents of Leggo claimed there were no gunbattles between the troops and the rebels at the time.

"The AU forces opened fire indiscriminately on our homes," one of them told Reuters.