Al-Shabaab and government forces battled for control of a remote army base in Somalia on Friday, after fighters from the Islamist militant group said they attacked the compound, killing dozens of soldiers.
Sheikh Abdiasis Abu Musab, al-Shabaab’s military operations spokesmanOur fighters went in and after heavy exchange of gunfire we took over the base.
The group, which is aligned with al-Qaeda, said it took over the base, about 550 km (340 miles) west of Mogadishu after a suicide bomber from the group rammed its gates. It said it was also in control of the small town of Ceel Cado nearby.
Col. David Obonyo, Kenya Defence Force (KDF) spokesman(Kenyan) troops under (African Union auspices) counter-attacked ... The fighting is still going on ...and the number of casualties on both sides is unknown.
Col. Obonyo said that al-Shabaab fighters overran a Somalia National Army camp situated close to a second camp run by KDF.
Al-Shabaab said it was in control of Ceel Cado and had captured nearly 30 lorries, tanks and armoured vehicles.
Sheikh Abdiasis Abu Musab, al-Shabaab’s military operations spokesmanWe have now counted and gathered in the base 61 dead bodies of (Kenyan) soldiers. The entire town and the base are in our hands.
Al-Shabaab has in the past year staged multiple attacks against African Union bases in Somalia, part of a guerrilla warfare strategy to drive out foreign troops and impose its harsh version of Islamic law across the Horn of Africa nation.
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