Extremists Storm Base in Somalia
Extremists Storm Base in Somalia
MOGADISHU, Somalia (AP) -- Islamic militants from the Al-Qaida-linked Al-Shabab group attacked a remote African Union base in Somalia on Friday, causing many casualties, said the AU mission and a local official.
In a tweet, the African Union mission confirmed there had been an early morning attack on their outpost in Lego, but did not provide any further details.
P[L1] D[0x0] M[300x250] OOP[F] ADUNIT[] T[]
Mohammed Haji, an official in the Lower Shabelle region told The Associated Press by telephone that militants attacked the base entrance with a suicide car bomb before gunmen began their assault.
"They managed to infiltrate the entrance after the blast — it was a complex attack," said. He estimated that up to 25 combatants may have been killed, but there was no way to verify his claim.
Al-Shabab group, which vowed it would step up attacks during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, claimed responsibility for the attack.
On Wednesday, nine people were killed after a suicide bomber tried to ram his explosives-laden car into a convoy of vehicles transporting Emirati diplomats in the Somali capital of Mogadishu.
The militants, who have ties with al-Qaida, have been pushed out of much of the territory they once controlled across the Horn of Africa nation, including Mogadishu. But they remain a lethal threat, carrying out guerrilla attacks on government and civilian targets.
(KA)