Militant group attacks U.S. special forces base, Italian army convoy in Somalia

The al-Shabab militant group has claimed responsibility for an attack on Monday against a U.S. special forces base in Somalia.

The base is in Baledogle, about 60 miles west of the capital, Mogadishu. The U.S. used the base to train Somali soldiers and, Al Jazeera reports, also to carry out drone attacks against al-Shabab. A witness told AFP that two car bombs went off and there "was also a heavy exchange of gunfire after the blasts."

Al-Shabab said its fighters managed to get into the base, but the U.S. Mission to Somalia said security forces "stopped this ultimately failed attack due to their alertness and swift response, not allowing the attackers to breach the outer defensive perimeters of the base. We are thankful that there were no Somali National Army casualties between the multiple attacks." U.S. Africa Command said there was a counterattack, and 10 al-Shabab fighters were killed.

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The group also claimed responsibility for a second car bomb attack on Monday, this time targeting European Union military advisers in Mogadishu. The two vehicles damaged by the explosion were part of an Italian convoy guarding the EU advisers. No soldiers were injured.