Official: 5 suicide attacks at AU bases in Somalia

[Viva_La_Revolution]

Source: AP

NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) -- A Nairobi-based official says five simultaneous suicide attacks have targeted African Union bases in the Somali capital of Mogadishu.

The diplomat says only some of Monday's attacks had been stopped in time.

The diplomat, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the press, could not yet give casualty figures.

Al-Qaida-linked Islamists are battling the weak U.N.-backed government for control of the capital of Mogadishu. Around 9,000 AU troops are stationed in the city to prevent the government from being overrun by militants.

Read more: http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/A/AF_SOMALIA?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT

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[ChrisBorg]

2. Official: 4 of 5 Somalia suicide attacks false

NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) — An AU soldier says at least three people died after a suicide bomber attacked an African Union peacekeeping base in the Somali capital. Incidents on four other bases initially believed to be similar attacks appear to be false alarms, a Nairobi-based diplomat said.

The diplomat, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the press, said the four other bases had sent reports that they had been attacked and were hearing explosions. The AU was still investigating what those blasts were — anything from rocket-propelled grenades to land mines.

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5jeazKtL326bZCgEBYAJIXk1q00MA?docId=2f4cb118f4b4448c862290f3ea96a445