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Somaliaâ€™s Shebab attack AU military base in capital

29 October 2011 21:46 (UTC +04:00)

Baku-APA. Fighters from Somaliaâ€™s Al-Shebab Islamist group attacked a pro-government military base in Mogadishu Saturday, using two suicide bombers disguised as government soldiers, APA reports quoting AFP.

Both sides however gave conflicting reports on the operation.

The African Union peacekeeping force (AMISOM) in Mogadishu issued a statement saying AU troops had "beaten off an attack by Al-Qaeda linked terrorists on one of their positions in the outskirts of the city.

"During the failed attack, the suicide bombers blew themselves, but the extremists were unable to take control of the AMISOM position."

The statement did not indicate the number of casualties.

The Shebab rebels claimed to have "stormed the AMISOM compound, killing 80 Ugandan soldiers," in a battle that lasted over two hours, their statement said.

Uganda and Burundi provide the 9,000 soldiers that currently comprise the AU mission in Somalia, which is tasked with defending the fragile interim government from the insurgents.

The Shebab, who control large swathes of territory in south and central Somalia, withdrew from their positions in Mogashishu in early August following a government offensive launched in February.

They have claimed credit for a series of bombings since, including an October 4 blast at a government complex that killed 82, the deadliest single attack ever committed in Mogadishu.