Another elder, Ahmed Bulle, said: “Al-Shabaab took control of the area completely – the death toll could be more than 50. There are many dead bodies, most of them in military uniforms.”
At least 30 have been killed, some of them beheaded, after a major attack on the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) base in the village of Lego, Somalia.
Alinur Mohamed, a local elder, said: “the fighting was the heaviest ever around this area. Al-Shabaab took full control of the base and killed many soldiers,” when speaking to newspaper The Guardian.
Another elder, Ahmed Bulle, said: “Al-Shabaab took control of the area completely – the death toll could be more than 50. There are many dead bodies, most of them in military uniforms.”
The militant Islamist group, Al-Shabab, has taken responsibility of the attack. It also says its fighters have taken control of the base but that is not yet confirmed.
Burundian soldiers from AMISOM operate from the base. The African Union Mission has more than 20,000 troops in the country.
The extremist group, Al-Shabab, has been battling the Somali government for control of the country. They commonly increase their assaults during the month of fasting for Muslims, Ramadan.