Four Killed in Attack on African Union's Peacekeepers Base in Somalia

MOSCOW, December 25 (Sputnik) — Four people have been killed during the attack of al-Shabab militant group on the base of the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) in Mogadishu, AMISOM said in a press release Thursday.

"The AMISOM Halane base camp, close to Mogadishu International Airport was today infiltrated by Al Shabaab elements… During the gun fight, three AMISOM soldiers and a civilian contractor unfortunately lost their lives," AMISOM reported.

The mission has regained control over the base and claimed that all personnel is safe at the moment.

Maman S. Sidikou, head of AMISOM, praised the mission's troops for prompt response and expressed his condolences to the families of those who were killed, as quoted in the press release. He also emphasized that such attacks underline the necessity to combat terrorism in Somalia by the country's government with the assistance of the international community.

Several gunmen attacked the African Union mission's base in the capital city earlier in the day. Al-Shabab claimed responsibility for the attack and stated it was targeting the Christmas party at the base, Al Jazeera reported.

AMISOM is a peacekeeping mission of the African Union that helps to establish security in Somalia and assists the country's government in conducting operations against al-Shabab.

Al-Shabab is an Islamic fundamentalist group, linked with al-Qaeda, that intends to create an Islamic state in Somalia. The group persecutes non-Muslims, advocates strict interpretation of sharia law and attempts to eliminate western influence in the region. It is believed to be behind most of the terrorist attacks in the country.