Al-Shabab says it has killed scores of African Union soldiers in a recent attack this week. Residents say the Somali armed group control the AMISOM base in Janaale, but the African Union insists its troops are in control.
Al-Shabab says it has killed scores of African Union soldiers in a recent attack this week. Residents say the Somali armed group control the AMISOM base in Janaale, but the African Union insists its troops are in control.
The attacks occurred in Janaale in the lower Shabelle province early on Tuesday. An exact victim count is not presently available.
The assault involved the use of a car bomb that breached the defenses at an African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) base in Janaale, residents in the area reported. Heavily armed fighters then stormed the base.
It was alleged by witnesses that they counted in excess of 20 bodies at the site, according to AFP, but the number was estimated by al-Shabab to be approximately 50.
AMISOM disputed that the area was under control of the terrorist organization. They also dismissed reports that weapons had been looted from the base.
Al-Shabab also claimed that “dozens” of AMISOM troops were killed in Lego, approximately 100 kilometers northwest of the capital. The attack was allegedly started with a suicide car bomb, followed by an assault by members of the armed group.
Shortly following that attack, the group claimed responsibility for a car bomb near the Jazeera Hotel in Mogadishu that killed approximately ten individuals.
Al-Shabab aims to overthrow the Somali central government and establish a state based on its interpretation of Islamic law.