Three AU soldiers, civilian killed in Shebab attack on base

MOGADISHU: Three African Union soldiers and a civilian were killed Thursday after Shebab militants staged a brazen attack on the force´s heavily fortified headquarters in Somalia.

The AU force known as AMISOM said troops regained control of the base in Mogadishu after a gunfight that left five of the attackers dead while three others were captured.

"Three AMISOM soldiers and a civilian contractor unfortunately lost their lives," AMISOM said in a statement, updating earlier information that said the four had been injured in the Christmas Day attack.

The statement did not mention the nationalities of the victims, but a contingent of Ugandan soldiers is in charge of the base.

AMISOM said some of the attackers were wearing Somali national army uniforms when they "breached the base camp around lunch hour and attempted to gain access to critical infrastructure".

"AMISOM has regained control of the Halane base camp and restored normalcy. All African Union and United Nations personnel in the base camp are safe and secure," the statement added.

The Shebab group quickly claimed responsibility for the attack.

"Our fighters are inside the headquarters of the foreign troops in Somalia," Shebab spokesman Abdulaziz Abu Musab told AFP earlier on Thursday, adding that several AU soldiers had been killed. (AFP)