Al-Shabab Attack Peacekeepers’ Base in Somalia

Local Editor

Al-Shabab militants fought a gun battle with African Union peacekeeping troops in Somalia after ramming a car laden with explosives into their base south of Mogadishu early Friday, military officials and a spokesman for the group said.

The peacekeeping force, known as AMISOM, is made up of troops mainly from Kenya, Uganda and Burundi.

The dawn attack in Leego some 130 km south of the Somali capital came as residents gathered for morning prayers. The fighting was still raging three hours after the assault began, a second official said.

"A car bomb rammed into the AU base in Leego and this was followed by heavy exchange of gunfire," Major Nur Olow, a military officer declared. "First, AU forces opened fire at the speeding car bomb. The car forced its way in."

"There is still heavy fighting between Burundian forces and Al-Shabab at the Burundi base in Leego town," said Abdul kadir Mohamed Sidi, the governor of the Lower Shabelle region, adding it was "too early to know casualties."

Abdiasis Abu Musab, a spokesman for the al-Qaeda, said the militants had killed 35 soldiers.

This was the latest of several attacks by the militants, fighting to overthrow the Western-backed Mogadishu government. Last week, al-Shabab attacked an African Union convoy with Ethiopian soldiers along the same route.

It was also behind two attacks in Mogadishu in the last week. On Sunday, militants stormed a national intelligence agency training site and it targeted military instructors from the United Arab Emirates.

An AMISOM and Somali army offensive last year pushed al-Shabab out of its major strongholds. But the group still controls some rural areas and stages regular attacks in Somalia and neighboring Kenya.

Source: News Agencies, Edited by website team