A Somali officer said that at least 50 Kenyan soldiers were killed in an attack on an African Union base in southern Somalia, the Russia Today reported on Friday.

The militants stormed the base by detonating a car bomb, leaving 50 Kenyan soldiers of the AU force dead, Hussain Abdullah, an officer in the Somali army, said.

For his part, Al-Shabab military spokesman Abdiaziz Abo Mosab said his group has taken "complete control" of the AU camp.

Kenya contributes more than 4,000 troops to the 22,000-strong AU force that is in Somalia helping the UN-backed government battle al-Shabab, which is part of al-Qaeda terrorist group.

Source: MENA