Al-Shabab fighters attack Kenya military base in Somalia

(ERIC GOSSIP) – Islamist militant al-Shabab fighters 
have launched an  attack on a Kenyan military base in southern Somalia.

The al-Qaeda-linked group says it has killed more
 than 50 soldiers and seized military vehicles and
 weapons.

But a Kenyan military spokesman said the dawn attack
 was repelled, the base was not overrun and scores
 of insurgents were killed in the fighting.

A year ago al-Shabab carried out a similar attack on a 
Kenyan base in the town el-Ade .

In that raid the Islamist group said it had killed more 
than 100 soldiers, but the Kenyan government refused
 to give its own casualty figures.

Kenya contributes more than 3,600 troops to the Africa 
Union mission in Somalia.