Somalia attack: Al-Shabab attacks African Union Janale base 1 September 2015 From the section Africa Fighters from the Al-Shabab militant Islamist group have over run an African Union military base in southern Somalia, inflicting heavy casualties, witnesses have told the BBC.
The militants said they have killed 70 AUsoldiers at the Janale base, 90km (55 miles)south-east of the capital. AU forces have insisted they are still in controlof the base. Al-Shabab, part of al-Qaeda, is battling the AU-backed government for control of Somalia. Residents said the attack started with a suicide car bombing at the base's gate,followed by sustained gunfire which lastedmore than an hour.
They told the BBC Somali service that AUforces were seen leaving the base, which isrun by the Ugandan troops.
The militants damaged a nearby bridge with a massive bomb to prevent troops fromescaping, Col Ahmed Hassan from the Somaliarmy told the Associated Press.He also said the militants had seized thebase.
Captain Bilow Idow, a Somali military officerbased in a town near Janale, said the basehad been effectively cut off."No reinforcement can reach there," Reuters news agency quotes him as saying. "There is much death and damage."
However, the AU mission in Somalia (Amisom)denied it had lost control of the base, without mentioning any casualties.
In June, the group overran another AfricanUnion base in Lego, a small town in the LowerShabelle region in southern Somalia, killingdozens of soldiers and seizing militaryequipments.
Despite losing most of its key strongholds insouth and central Somalia, al-Shababcontinues to carry out attacks on thegovernment and African Union troops acrossthe country.The militants also stage frequent suicideattacks inside the capital, Mogadishu.
Source: BBC
The militants said they have killed 70 AUsoldiers at the Janale base, 90km (55 miles)south-east of the capital. AU forces have insisted they are still in controlof the base. Al-Shabab, part of al-Qaeda, is battling the AU-backed government for control of Somalia. Residents said the attack started with a suicide car bombing at the base's gate,followed by sustained gunfire which lastedmore than an hour.
They told the BBC Somali service that AUforces were seen leaving the base, which isrun by the Ugandan troops.
The militants damaged a nearby bridge with a massive bomb to prevent troops fromescaping, Col Ahmed Hassan from the Somaliarmy told the Associated Press.He also said the militants had seized thebase.
Captain Bilow Idow, a Somali military officerbased in a town near Janale, said the basehad been effectively cut off."No reinforcement can reach there," Reuters news agency quotes him as saying. "There is much death and damage."
However, the AU mission in Somalia (Amisom)denied it had lost control of the base, without mentioning any casualties.
In June, the group overran another AfricanUnion base in Lego, a small town in the LowerShabelle region in southern Somalia, killingdozens of soldiers and seizing militaryequipments.
Despite losing most of its key strongholds insouth and central Somalia, al-Shababcontinues to carry out attacks on thegovernment and African Union troops acrossthe country.The militants also stage frequent suicideattacks inside the capital, Mogadishu.
Source: BBC