By Mohammed Dhaysane

MOGADISHU, Somalia

At least three people were killed with more than five others wounded after a suicide car bomb exploded targeting an African Union Mission to Somalia (AMISOM) base in the town of Bardhere, Southwestern region of Gedo on Saturday, officials said.

AMISOM is a peace keeping mission operated by the AU in Somalia with approval by the United Nations.

Bashir Hassan, a police officer in Bardhere, told Anadolu Agency over the phone that the attack was a suicide car bomb blast which targeted an African Union peacekeeping mission forces base in Bardhere town, killing 3 people including the attacker.

“What we can confirm you is that the attack was a suicide car bomb blast which exploded near the AMISOM base, killing 3 people including the attacker and 5 other people, including soldiers, were wounded and rushed to hospital for treatment,” Hassan said.

AMISOM did not comment on the incident.

Somali-based insurgent group al-Shabaab claimed responsibility for the attack and said it had killed more than 16 people in the attack.

The group also claimed it had killed 10 Kenyan soldiers near the town of Afmadow, in lower Jubba region on Saturday.

Bardhere is an agriculture town located some 343 kilometers (213 miles) southwest of the capital Mogadishu.