Major African Union Base In Somalia Overrun By Al Shabaab Fighters. Reports That 50 Peacekeepers Were Killed

Reuters: Al Shabaab raids Somali African Union base, many killed

Al Shabaab militants stormed an African Union base in southern Somalia on Tuesday, where they say they killed 50 peacekeepers, in what the AU mission called a "heinous" attack.

The al Qaeda-aligned militants said one of their fighters rammed a car bomb into the base, in Janale, about 90 km (55 miles) south of the capital, Mogadishu, and then gunmen poured inside.

The African Union peacekeeping mission, known as AMISOM, did not immediately release casualty figures for the attack, which came roughly a year after al Shabaab leader Ahmed Abdi Godane was killed in a U.S. air strike.

Al Shabaab often exaggerates the success of its attacks, and officials played down losses. But Somalia-focused diplomatic sources said the death toll was expected to be "very large".

WNU Editor: This was not a defeat .... this was a massacre.

More News On Today's Al Shabaab Attack On An African Union Base In Southern Somalia

Somali militants overrun base of African Union forces -- AP
Al Shabaab militants attack African Union base in Somalia -- AFP
Islamist Rebels Attack African Union Base in South Somalia -- Bloomberg
Al-Shabaab claims 'scores' killed in attack on AU troops -- News24
Shebab attack African Union base in Somalia -- New Vision
More than 20 African Union soldiers killed in al-Shabaab attack -- IBTimes
Shabaab bombs, takes second AU base -- News24