Suicide Bomber Attack Military Base in Somalia, Al Shabaab Claims Responsibilty

A Somali military base about 30 km (20 miles) northwest of Mogadishu, the nation's capital has been attacked by a suicide bomber on Friday. Militant group al Shabaab has claimed responsibility of the attack which killed one soldier, the military said.

Major Abdullahi Ise told Reuters that the base was nearly empty when the attack happened, just before Friday. Separate bombing of military trucks also claimed the lives of three soldiers, he added. 

Al Shabaab has carried out bombings and other attacks in Mogadishu in a bid to overthrow Somalia's Western-backed federal government and wants the the African Union-backed peace-keeping force AMISOM out of the country. The Al Qaeda-linked group last Friday, claimed a car bombing which killed 45 people.

Chaos has been characteristic of Somalia since the early 90's when dictator Siad Barre was deposed by warlords. The country's president Mohamed Abdullahi has found it increasingly difficult in his bid to restore security and stability and annihilate the Islamist insurgency despite support from the peace-keepers, Western aid and frequent airstrikes on Islamist targets by the United States. 

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