Somali Militants Overrun Base for African Union Forces

Al-Shabab' overran an African Union base in southern Somalia early Tuesday, a Somali military official said

In this Thursday, Feb. 17, 2011 file photo, hundreds of newly trained al-Shabab fighters perform military exercises in the Lafofe area some 18 km south of Mogadishu, in Somalia. AP Photo/Farah Abdi Warsameh

MOGADISHU, Somalia—Al-Shabab' overran an African Union base in southern Somalia early Tuesday, a Somali military official said, in the latest display of the Islamic extremists’ capacity to hit back amid a prolonged offensive against them.

The attack in the small farming town of Janale started with a suicide car bombing at the base’s gate, followed by a firefight which lasted more than an hour, said Col. Ahmed Hassan.

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