Heavily Armed Islamic Extremists Attack Peacekeepers’ Base in Somalia Suicide car bomb followed by gunfire as militants stormed the compound, says military official
http://www.wsj.com/articles/heavily-armed-islamic-extremists-attack-peacekeepers-base-in-somalia-1452848795
MOGADISHU, Somalia—Heavily armed fighters from the Islamic extremist group al-Shabaab attacked a base for African Union peacekeepers in southwestern Somalia on Friday, blasting their way into the compound and exchanging fire with peacekeepers, a Somali military official said.
Dozens of al-Shabaab fighters started a complex attack on the military base which is run by Kenyan troops who are part of the African Union force in the town of El-Ade, not far from the Kenyan border, Ahmed Hassan told The Associated Press by phone from Elwak, a town near the scene of the latest attack.
The attack started with a suicide car bomb, and then heavy gunfire was heard as militants stormed into the base, he said.
Fighting is still going on inside the base, he said. He had no details about any casualties.
al-Shabaab reported on its online radio that its fighters had managed to penetrate the base and were fighting African Union troops.
Despite being pushed out of Somalia’s major cities and towns, al-Shabaab continues to launch deadly guerrilla attacks across the Horn of Africa country.
The group, which has ties with al Qaeda, has also carried out many deadly attacks inside Kenya.
Copyright 2016 The Associated Press.
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