NAIROBI, Jan 1 - Somalia's armed forces have eliminated 29 al-Shabaab militants in the town of Jabad Godane in southeastern Somalia, in coordination with international partners, the Defence Ministry said in a statement on Thursday.

Al-Shabaab has waged an insurgency in Somalia since 2007 in a bid to topple the internationally-backed central government and establish its own rule based on its strict interpretation of sharia law.