Mogadishu, Jan 15 (IANS): Dozens of soldiers were killed in an attack by Al Shabaab militants on on the El-Adde base of Africa Union peacekeepers in Somalia's Gedo region, Xinhua news agency reported.
"They first rammed a suicide car bomb into the gate of the Kenyan forces base in El-Adde, about 93 km from the Kenyan border," Gedo region's military commander Abdirazak Hussein told Xinhua.
"After that they exchanged heavy gunfire with the forces inside the base. There were many casualties between the two parties."
Witnesses reported blasts and heavy gunfire.
Al Shabaab has claimed responsibility for the attack, saying it has taken over the base and killed more than 63 Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) soldiers.
Earlier, Al Jazeera reported that at least 50 Kenyan soldiers were killed early on Friday in the attack.