Somalia’s al Shabaab says stormed military base in country’s south, killed 27 soldiers

Somalia’s al Shabaab group said on Monday its fighters had attacked a military base in the south of the country, killing 27 soldiers.

“We first attacked the base with a suicide car bomb and then stormed. We killed 27 soldiers and took the base. Some soldiers fled into the jungles,” Abdiasis Abu Musab, al Shabaab’s military operation spokesman said.

The base is some 50 km (31 miles) away from the port city of Kismayu. There was no immediate comment from government officials on the attack.

Al Shabaab fights to topple Somalia’s central government and impose its rule based on its own strict interpretation of Islam’s Sharia law.

Al Shabaab attacked the same base in June, wounding seven soldiers.