Shebab storm African Union base in Somalia, casualties reported

Islamic Militant group, Al-shabab on Friday attacked an African Union (AU) Peacekeeping base in Southwester Somalia.

Somali and Kenyan military officials said the fighters had seized the Somali army base near the town of Ceel Cadde, about 550 km (340 miles) west of Mogadishu in a region near Kenya’s border.

A Kenyan military spokesman said that the attack had targeted a Somali military camp, next to the African Union base, and that most of the dead were Somalis, contrary to claims by the Al Shabab.

But the Kenyan military said in a statement that the rebels had attacked Somali government soldiers who were stationed near the African Union base run by the Kenyan contingent.

“The operation is still ongoing”, Njuguna said.

A spokesman for al-Shabaab said 63 Kenyan soldiers had been killed.

While the militant group has lost territory since being driven out of the capital, Mogadishu, in 2011 by government and African Union forces, it continues to stage deadly gun and bomb attacks.

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

“Once we come to an end of this battle, we will have information on number of casualties and proper account of what happened”.

“AMISOM can confirm that there was an attack on our troops in El-Adde”, the force said in a brief statement, but gave no further details.

Al-Shabab has carried out several terrorists attacks in Kenya.

The offensive started with a suicide bomber exploding in a vehicle at the entrance to the base.

“There were many casualties between the two parties”.

“There was a heavy blast before the direct attack”.

“We still could hear the sound of the shooting”.

Earlier, Al Jazeera reported that at least 50 Kenyan soldiers were killed early Friday in the attack launched by Al Shabaab.

And in June, al-Shabaab killed dozens of Burundian soldiers when they overran an AMISOM outpost northwest of Mogadishu.