Shabab attack on Somali base kills 10 soldiers
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People look at the wreckage of a minibus ripped by a bomb on June 30, 2016, in Afgooye near Somalia's capital, Mogadishu. © AFP
The al-Qaeda-linked al-Shabab militants in Somalia have killed at least 10 soldiers in an attack on a military base southwest of the capital, Mogadishu.
According to Press TV, the fatalities came on Monday when the Takfiri group rammed a car packed with explosives into the base. Militants then stormed the base, sparking a heavy exchange of fire which lasted for hours.
Major Ahmed Farah from the nearby town of Afgooye said at least 12 militants were killed in the clashes while a spokesman with the Takfiri group claimed to have killed 30 soldiers.
The assault on the base 50 km (30 miles) outside Mogadishu was part of the group's campaign to topple the Western-backed government.
Somalia has been the scene of deadly fighting between government forces and al-Shabab elements since 2006.
Takfiri terrorists have been pushed out of Mogadishu and other major cities by government troops and African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM).
AMISOM is largely made up of troops from Ethiopia, Uganda, Burundi, Djibouti, Sierra Leone, and Kenya.
Al-Shabab members have continued to carry out attacks in Mogadishu despite being driven out from their bases in the seaside city in 2011.
Its victims have included international aid workers, journalists, civilian leaders and African Union peacekeepers.
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