Al-Shabaab targets AU military base in Mogadishu

Al-Shabaab militants fired mortar rounds at a military base in Halane belonging to the African Union peacekeeping troops in Somalia (AMISOM) on Monday night.

AMISOM force spokesman, Joe Kibet confirmed the incident on Tuesday, saying three mortar shells landed outside Halane military base, AU's main station near Mogadishu International Airport in Wadajir district in Benadir region.

"There were three mortar shells that hit our base from outside, but it did not cause any casualties. We are working with Somalia National Army (SNA) to establish if there were any civilian casualties," Kibet told Xinhua.

However, Kibet did not say whether the pan African body's troops responded to such attacks by the militants.

Al-Shabab militants claimed to have carried out the heavy attack against AU base in Mogadishu. The Islamist militant group claimed they dropped seven mortar shells into the base at midnight.

This is the first attack in which AU base in Mogadishu has come under terrorist attack from Al-Shabaab militants.

Somali National Army backed by the AU troops removed Al-Shabaab militants from the capital Mogadishu in 2011, but the group tries to undermine peace and stability by staging several attacks in many towns in the south and central Somalia. Endit