20110305
reuters

MOGADISHU, March 5 (Xinhua) -- The African Union (AU) peacekeeping forces in Mogadishu on Saturday said that they have foiled a suicide car bomb attack by Islamist rebels on the forces base.

The attack targeted a recently established base for the AU peacekeeping forces known as AMISOM at newly-seized key Islamist position in the capital late last month, said a statement issued by the forces spokesman Barigye Ba-Hoku. "AMISOM forces this morning have foiled a suicide vehicle attack against the AMISOM base at the former Ministry of Defense Headquarters, Gashandiga, recently established by the Burundi Contingent," the spokesman said.

The AU forces that mainly make up of Burundian and Ugandan soldiers back the weak by internationally recognized Somali government in their struggle to contain deadly Islamist insurgency.

The government forces supported by AMISOM peacekeepers recently launched a much-awaited offensive aimed at driving out Islamist group of Al Shabaab from their strongholds in the capital Mogadishu and south-centre of the war torn country.

The AMISOM spokesman said that sentries manning the base identified and destroyed an insurgent vehicle that was fast approaching the base from a road in the northwest of the city.

"Our forces destroyed the jeep flying a black flag towards the gate before it reached its target, killing all suicide bombers inside," Brig Gen Maurice Gatereste, the Burundi Contingent Commander said.

"A simultaneous attack with small and medium weapons on the base was also repulsed with serious causalities on the extremists, one of our soldiers sustained minor injuries and is currently receiving medical attention," Gatereste added.

"It is an act born out of frustration and desperate desire to recapture Gashandiga but we will not allow them to have it back and use it to mete out their reign of terror to the population".

The attack comes as Somali government officials and AMISOM commanders said they were making advances on a number of fronts in the capital as well as in south Somalia where government forces retook a border town near Kenya from Islamist rebels.

The UN-backed Somali government has since the past year been planning to launch a major offensive to retake Islamist-run parts of the capital Mogadishu and the south and central provinces.