Al Shabaab militants hit army base in Somalia, kill 10

Somalia: At least 10 soldiers have been killed after Al Shabaab Islamist militants violently crashed a car loaded with explosives into a Somali army base in Mokoqori area southwest of Mogadishu and then stormed inside the base on Monday.

The attack on the military base outside Mogadishu was part of the group's battle to try to dislodge the Western-backed government in a bid to impose its own strict interpretation of Islam.
Major Ahmed Farah from nearby town of Afgooye said;

"Heavy exchange of gunfire continued for hours,"

adding that at least 12 al Shabaab fighters were killed in the fight.

Spokesman for Al Shabaab, Abdiasis Abu Musab claimed that 30 soldiers had been killed in the attack which lasted several hours before his group's withdrew.

It is noted that the group often mention a higher death toll than officials.

The president's office in a statement on Sunday said, the government destroyed an al Shabaab base used to store military supplies in a region south of Mogadishu without resistance.