At least 30 people were killed after Al-Shabaab militants clashed with African Union troops in Somalia on Friday, following the group's car bomb near Mogadishu at dawn, Reuters reported.
The extremists detonated a car bomb at the African Union peacekeepers' base in Leego, 130 kilometers south of the Somali capital, during morning prayers of Ramadan.
Abdikadir Mohamed Sidi, governor of the Lower Shabelle region, told Reuters heavy fighting between the AU and al-Shabaab have been continuing for three hours.
The militants have often launched more attacks during the holy month, leading officials to prepare for a heightened security risk with more forces.
"AMISOM confirms there is an ongoing attack at their LeegoSomalia base that started this morning," the African Union Mission in Somalia peacekeeping force (AMISOM) said on Twitter.
Somali Major Nur Olow said AU forces opened fire at the attackers who rammed their vehicle into the base, but they still managed to force their way in.
The AU is mostly made up of officials from Uganda, Kenya and Burundi, according to Reuters. Last week al-Shabaab had attacked an AU convoy carrying Ethiopian officials along the same route.
