Al-Shabab fighters in Somalia have killed “scores” of African Union troops in an attack south of capital, Mogadishu, a spokesman for the armed group told Al Jazeera.<\/p>\n
The attack in Janaale, in the country’s Lower Shabelle province, early on Tuesday was confirmed by residents, but an exact casualty figure was not immediately available.<\/p>\n
The assault involved the use of a car bomb, which breached the defences at an\u00a0African Union Mission in Somalia\u00a0(AMISOM) base in Janaale, residents told Al Jazeera.<\/p>\n
Heavily armed fighters then stormed the base.<\/p>\n
In July, al-Shabab claimed to have killed “dozens” of AMISOM troops at an outpost in Lego, about 100km northwest of the capital.<\/p>\n
The attack on Lego similarly began with a suicide car bomb followed by an assault by members of the armed group.<\/p>\n
Shortly after that attack, the group claimed responsibility for a car bombing near the Jazeera Hotel in Mogadishu killing at least 10 people.<\/p>\n
A day before the attack\u00a0US President Barack Obama said during his visit to Nairobi, in neighbouring Kenya, that while al-Shabab had been “weakened”, the overall security threat posed by it\u00a0remained.<\/p>\n
Al-Shabab aims to overthrow Somalia’s central government and establish a state based on its interpretation of Islamic law.<\/p>\n
Source:\u00a0 Aljazeera<\/a><\/p>\n