World Bulletin / News Desk

Fighters from Somalia's Al-Qaeda-affiliated Shabaab group rammed a suicide car bomb into an African Union army base early Tuesday and stormed inside, an official and witness said.

There were no immediate reports on casualties, and the rebels said in a statement that the AMISOM troops had fled the base, situated in Janale district, 80 kilometres (50 miles) southwest of Mogadishu in the lower Shabele region.

The base is thought to be manned by Burundian soldiers.

"There was heavy explosion and fighting broke out at the AMISOM base in Janale. We don't have details but we are hearing that Al-Shabaab fighters attacked the base," said Mohamed Shire, a Somali military commander based in the region.

A local eyewitness said Shabaab fighters stormed into the base.

"Heavy fighting broke out after a suicide bomber rammed his vehicle into the camp," said local resident Ali Moalim Yusuf. "I saw heavily armed fighters pouring into the base."

The armed men, who are fighting to overthrow Somalia's internationally-backed and AU-protected government, confirmed they were behind the attack.

"The fighters captured the base after a suicide bomber struck it, the enemy fled," the group said in a brief statement.

In June, Shabaab fighters killed dozens of Burundian soldiers when they overran an AMISOM outpost northwest of the capital. They also stage frequent suicide attacks inside the capital.

But AMISOM, the 22,000-strong AU force in Somalia, has also made key gains against the Shabaab in recent months, pushing them out of several strongholds in the southwest of the country.