Eight Somali policemen were killed in a raid on a police station staged by al Shabaab militants near the capital.

Al Shabaab fighters stormed a police station on the edge of Afgoi town, 30km southwest of Mogadishu, killing eight officers and stealing three pick up trucks, Sky News Arabia TV reported.

"Al Shabaab killed eight of my colleagues and took three of our cars last night," Major Abdikadir Hussein, a police officer said.