Several dead following attack by Al Shebab millitants in Somalia

Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta announced Friday that Kenyan troops stationed at an African Union (AU) military base in southwestern Somalia were killed when al-Shabab militants attacked in an early morning raid.

Somali military official Ahmed Hassan, said the attack started with a suicide auto bomb, and then heavy gunfire was heard as militants stormed the base.

Al-Shabab fighters have attacked AU bases in the country before, killing 70 military personnel at the Janale base in September 2015.

Some soldiers are said to have escaped. The attack took place at El-Ade, Gedo in southern Somalia which is in close proximity to KDF camp.

“This attack sends a clear message to the Kenyan government that their military’s invasion of our Muslim lands and the massacre of innocent Muslims perpetrated by the Kenyan crusaders will not be without severe consequences”, al Shabaab said. However, he did not confirm or deny that several Kenyan soldiers were also killed in the attack.

“Al-Shabaab militia attacked… the KDF troops under AMISOM counterattacked, the fighting is still going on”, said Kenya army spokesman David Obonyo.

It said it killed 61 Kenyan soldiers serving as part of the African Union forces, while other soldiers escaped. I stand with you.

That statement said the casualty toll is unknown.

Kenya’s defence ministry confirmed there had been “casualties” but was unable to confirm numbers, describing the assault as an “unfortunate incident”.

The Kenyan army said it wasn’t their base that was attacked but that of the Somali army.

The 54-member African Union has, since 2007, organized a peacekeeping force to stabilize Somalia, which has not had a functioning government since a civil war and a 1991 overthrow.

Al-Shabaab has claimed the responsibility for the attack, saying it had taken over the base and killed more than 63 Kenya Defence Forces soldiers.