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A man claiming to be 112 has reportedly married a 17-year-old girl in Somalia.

Ahmed Mohamed Dore claims to have been pursuing Sofia Abdul for years but the pair decided to wait until the teenager was older before “tying the knot”, the BBC reports.

“I didn’t force her, but used my experience to convince her of my love — and then we agreed to marry,” Mr Dore was quoted as saying.

“Today God helped me realise my dream.”

Sofia’s parents were said to be thrilled with the match and were among the hundreds of guests at the wedding ceremony in Gielgud, central Somalia, on Tuesday.

Mr Dore, who has two other wives, reportedly plans to have children with his new bride. It is his sixth wedding, he said.

Polygamy and older men marrying teenage brides is widespread in Somalia, though a marriage with an age difference this large is considered rare.

The BBC report said there was no way to verify Mr Dore’s claim he was 112.