Death toll from terrorist attack on Somalia AU base rises to 21,France says it evacuated 17 wounded from Mogadishu overnight

The death toll from Thursday’s attack on an African Union base by Somali insurgents has risen to 21 as investigations are launched into the daring suicide bombing.Al-Shabaab forces, retaliating over an earlier attack by US security forces that killed a top al-Qaeda suspect, Saleh Ali Saleh Nabhan, drove into the AU peace keepers’ base in Mogadishu in two bomb-laden trucks. The trucks had UN logos. The bombs went off inside the camp. Twelve Burundian, five Ugandan and four Somali soldiers are confirmed dead while 26 others who were injured seriously, were evacuated to Nairobi for treatment. While sending AU’s message of condolence to the bereaved families, the special representative for Somalia, Mr Nicholas Bwakira, urged the international community to play a bigger role in bringing the Somali instability to an end.Superior weapons Mr Bwakira said the Thursday attack was a barbaric act, adding that it will not dampen the morale and spirit of the peace keepers.“We need more superior weapons, human capacity and technical ability to wipe out the insurgents,” Mr Bwakira said.
He said that at least 40 people were injured and that the evacuation process is still going on. Among those killed is the deputy force commander of African Mission in Somali (Amisom) Maj-Gen Juvenal Niyoyunguruza.Mr Bwakira refused to comment on the US operation, saying: “That can only be answered by the American government. However, the attack has served to embolden our resolve to fulfil our mandate.”Addressing an international press conference in Nairobi, Mr Bwakira said the number of peace keepers had been increased from 2,500 to more that 5,000.He said they remained resolute in supporting the Somali people and the Transitional Federal Government (TFG) and urged the international community to support the process.
Somali insurgents detonated two suicide car bombs on Thursday morning at the African Union peace keepers’ headquarters in Mogadishu, killing nine soldiers on the spot.
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France says it evacuated 17 wounded from Mogadishu overnight

PARIS, Sept 18 (KUNA) -- French Special Air Forces carried out an overnight evacuation of 17 wounded people from the Somali capital, Mogadishu, after peace-keepers there were attacked Thursday in a double car bombing, officials said here Friday.At least 14 peace-keepers were killed in the attacks against the Ugandan compound on Thursday and many more were wounded in the deadliest attack ever against the force.The French operation was designed to demonstrate France's solidarity with the African Union (AU) peace-keeping mission which has been increasingly targeted by radical Islamist militants like the "Al-Shebab" group in Somalia.Troops from Burundi and Uganda have been serving in Somalia for several years now and have lost dozens of soldiers amid accusations the AU is supporting the fragile, transitional government of Sheikh Ahmed Sharif.France is also helping Sharif by training 500 members of his security forces and sending military advisors to Somalia.The French Foreign Ministry said that the wounded were transported in the early hours and were taken to Nairobi in Kenya where they were immediately hospitalized."In the face of this attack against the African Union Interim Mission in Somalia (AIMSOM), France wants to express in a concrete way its engagement at the side of the African Union and all those who are working for peace and stability in the region," a French statement said.France also wants to take this opportunity "to reaffirm its support to the Federal Transition Government of Somalia," the statement added. (end) jk.ema