Somalia attack: Al-Shabab 'kills 30' at AU military base

[muriel_volestrangler]

Source: BBC

At least 30 people have been killed after gunmen attacked an African Union military base in southern Somalia, witnesses say.

A suicide car bomber drove into the main gates of the base in Leego, along the main road connecting the capital, Mogadishu and the city of Baidoa.

The militant Islamist group al-Shabab says its fighters have taken control of the base but this is not confirmed.
...
The base is manned by Burundian soldiers from the African Union Mission in Somalia (Amisom), which has more than 20,000 troops in the country.



Read more: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-33282778

[Ace Rothstein]

1. Lots of terrorist attacks today.

I wonder if they were coordinated.

[muriel_volestrangler]

2. Attack Kills at Least 50 AU Soldiers in Somalia; 20 and 40 civilians may have been kidnapped

Islamist militant group al-Shabab killed at least 50 African Union soldiers at dawn Friday and seized control of their military base in southern Somalia.

Witnesses said attackers rammed a car filled with explosives into the main gate of the base in the town of Leego, 130 kilometers south of Mogadishu, then opened fire on Burundian soldiers manning the base.

A spokesman for al-Shabab said more than 50 soldiers were killed, while Somali officials told VOA's Somali service the death toll was more than 70.

Additionally, another 20 Burundian soldiers and 40 Somali civilians were missing, and there were fears that they might have been kidnapped.

http://www.voanews.com/content/suicide-bomber-attacks-african-union-base-somalia/2837996.html

[JonLP24]

3. The situation in Somolia is so desperate

the poverty rampant, foreign private business & military moving in -- Al-Shabab I looked up has Wahabbi roots so the ideology is wrong, corrupt all of that but the common aspect is they recruit targeting their reasons for outrage and the idea of fighting an armed conflict is appealing then are hooked into the cult and turning themselves into a bomb for the cult leaders. It is really a sad situation all the way around -- improving human rights, humanitarian assistance, & quality of life would go a long way instead of feeding them material they can use for recruiting purposes.