Mogadishu: Al Shabaab Islamist militants rammed a car packed with explosives into a Somali army base southwest of the capital Monday and stormed inside, killing at least 10 soldiers, the group and a military officer said.

‘A suicide car bomb rammed into the base and then al Shabaab fighters stormed it. At least 10 soldiers died,’ Major Ahmed Farah told Reuters from the nearby town of Afgooye.

An al Shabaab spokesman said its fighters were behind the raid and said 30 soldiers had been killed. The group often cites a higher death toll than official figures.